A Journey of Resilience: Eli Sharabi's Fight for Survival After Tragedy

Wed Oct 22 2025 08:16:35 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Eli Sharabi, a former hostage, shares his heartbreaking story of survival after losing his wife and daughters to the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. Despite his trauma, he advocates for peace and the return of hostages.

In a poignant interview, Eli Sharabi recounts his harrowing experience as a hostage and the tragic loss of his family during the Hamas attacks in October 2023. Despite the suffering and challenges he faces, Sharabi remains hopeful for peace in the Middle East and continues to fight for the release of remaining hostages. His resilience shines through as he expresses a love for life and a determination to honor the memory of his family.

A former Israeli hostage whose British-Israeli wife and children were killed by Hamas in the 7 October attacks, Eli Sharabi, expressed deep concerns that a recent peace plan may collapse, risking the lives of remaining hostages amidst ongoing conflict.

In a rare interview, Sharabi, one of the more recognized hostage survivors, raised alarms about the current Israeli-Gaza conflict and its implications for at least 20 other hostages still unaccounted for.

He called on US President Donald Trump to utilize his influence to help secure the release of living hostages and honor those who perished.

Sharabi poignantly stated, War is wrong and awful for both sides, urging Hamas to pursue peace that would benefit the Middle East.

We have to keep hope for an agreement, he insisted.

Trump's 20-point peace proposal, which aims to stop the fighting and release hostages within 72 hours, offers a glimmer of hope, though Hamas officials have signaled a possible rejection.

Tragically, Sharabi discovered only on his release that his wife, Lianne, and two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were killed during his captivity, after living through 491 harrowing days in captivity, struggling against starvation and abuse.

Sharabi articulated the profound emotional toll of returning home to an empty house, where his family should have been waiting. He revealed his heartbreak upon learning of their fate, confronted with the reality of his loss.

Reflecting on that fateful day when Hamas militants breached safety in his home community of Kibbutz Be'eri, he expressed the last thing he said to his daughters: I'll be back. Following multiple forms of abuse during captivity, he emerged emaciated yet determined to live.

I don't care what will happen; I promised my girls I would come back to them, Sharabi stated, underlining his conviction as a father and husband. Now he shares his story, leveraging his experience to advocate for peace and the return of all hostages.

In the face of adversity and personal loss, Sharabi's spirit remains unbroken. He sums it all up with, It was very tough, but I really, really love life… I'm trying to be positive. I'm working on that. His resilience continues to shine through, profoundly inspiring others far beyond his tragedy.