An Israeli hostage, who was freed from Hamas captivity after 491 days, recounted his harrowing experience from those days while speaking at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Talking about his experiences in “hell,” Eli Sharabi revealed that he was “chained, starved, beaten and humiliated” in Hamas jail.
“My name is Eli Sharabi. I am 53 years old. I’ve come back from hell. I’ve returned to tell my story. I used to live in Kibbutz Berry with my British born wife Leanne and my daughters Noia and Yahel. It was a beautiful community. We were all passionate about creating the best life for our children and to our neighbors. At 16, I left Tel Aviv for Beriere, seeking a peaceful home away from the concrete city. I found a loving community and knew I would raise my family there. Many asked why we lived near Gaza, but to me, Be’eri was heaven. Leanne came from Bristol, UK as a volunteer. She was meant to stay a few months, but she met me and we fell in love,” Eli Sharabi said at the UNSC.
” We were married for 23 years and had two wonderful daughters and a dog, Mocha. On October 7, my heaven turned to hell. Sirens began. Hamas terrorists invaded and I was ripped away from my family, never to see them again. For 491 days, I was kept mostly underground in Hamas terror tunnels. Chained, starved, beaten and humiliated. I was held captive in the darkness, isolated from the world by Hamas terrorists,” he added.
While surviving in jail, the freed Israeli hostage revealed that he lost over 30 kgs, survived on scraps of food with no medical attention and no mercy.
Sharabi expressed his dismay at the international community’s inaction, questioning the absence of humanitarian organisations. Upon his return to Israel in February, he discovered the tragic news that his wife Lianne and daughters Noiya and Yahel had been killed by terrorists on October 7, 2023.
“For my brother Yossi, murdered in Hamas captivity, his body still held hostage for a long oil still 50 meters underground. I swore to him that I would tell his story. For Hirsch, Ori Eden, Carmel Almogen Alexander, murdered in cold blood by their captors. For every hostage still in Hamas hands. I’m here to tell you the whole truth. On the morning of October 7th, at 6.29am, the Red Alerts began to come through on Liane’s phone. I told her not to worry. It will be over soon, I said. Minutes later, we heard that terrorists were infiltrating our community. They were inside the kibbutz again. I reassured her. The army will come. They always come. We heard gunfire, screaming, explosion,” he said.
He further added, “And then we heard a terrorist at our door. We had no weapons, no way to fight back. Leon and I made a decision we would not resist. We hoped we could save our daughter. The door opened. Our dog barked. The terrorists opened fire. Leanne and I threw ourselves over our daughters, screaming for the terrorists to stop. Suddenly, 10 terrorists were inside my home. They took our phones. Two of them grabbed me. They took my wife and daughters to the kitchen. I couldn’t see them anymore. I didn’t know what was happening to them. I was screaming their names and they were screaming mine. I told Liane not to be afraid, but this was fear beyond anything I’ve ever felt. Then I knew I was being taken. As they dragged me out, I called out to my girls, I will be back. I had to believe that. But that was the last time I ever saw them. I didn’t know. I should have said goodbye forever. Outside was like a war zone.”
Eli Sharabi also revealed his whereabout during Hamas captivity and said that after keeping him in flat for first 52 days, he was taken into a tunnel 50 meters underground where he was chained and Hamas ripped his skin. He also said that sometime Hamas threw dry dates in front of them which felt like the greatest gift in the world.
“At any moment they could kill you. You wake up every day and do not know when you will be able to eat. It could be 12:00pm, 5:00pm, 11:00pm this would be the only meal we would have. You hope and pray that there will be no surprises with the captors. You think about how desperately you want to shower. We only got one bath a month with half a bucket of cold water, toothpaste, toilet paper. Forget it. Psychological terror was constant. Every day they told us, the world has abandoned you. No one is coming. By the time I met Alon Oel, who is now 24 years old, we had already endured terrible captivity. We relied on each other for survival. Alon is a very talented pianist,” he said.
” And I remember how he would pretend to play the piano on his body to keep himself sane. He doesn’t look like anymore. Like that. One day, a terrorist took his anger out on me. He stormed in and bit me so badly that he broke my ribs. I couldn’t properly breathe. For months, Alon tried to protect me with his own body. You couldn’t believe how lucky I felt when Alon told me he had saved one painkiller pill. He gave it to me to get through the night. Alon still has shrapnel in his right eye from the day he was kidnapped. He never received medical care. He never saw the Red Cross,” he added.
He concluded his address by advocating for the remaining 59 hostages, urging immediate action for their release. Prior to his council address, Sharabi spoke about his inhumane treatment in captivity and the local civilians’ complicity.
Despite losing significant weight during his ordeal, Sharabi has actively campaigned for the remaining hostages’ release, sharing his experiences through media interviews and meeting with world leaders including US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
