Canadian-Israeli whose aunt and uncle were kidnapped by Hamas not giving up hope

A Canadian-Israeli living in Vancouver doesn't know whether her aunt and uncle are still alive, and she's desperate for answers.

Photographs of Oded and Yocheved Lifshitz began appearing on kidnapped posters after the couple was abducted by Hamas more than a week ago from their home in Kibbutz Nir-Oz.

Their house was burned to the ground.

“Every time I try to go to sleep, I have this vision of my aunt dragged,” said Rutie Mizrahi, the couple’s niece. “We don't know what the situation is, we don't know if they're even alive.”

They are both in their 80s and her aunt has Parkinson’s disease and requires medication, as well as an oxygen tank to sleep.

Her uncle used to be a journalist, and in his spare time would pick up Palestinians from the border and take them to medical appointments.

“He used to drive them to the hospital, wait for them until they were done, and then drove them back to the border,” she said. “I don't even think that I actually fully understand or, we say 'digested,' what happened."

She wants to travel back to Israel to find answers, but her family insists she stay in Canada, saying there is little that can be done, except hope.