Eli Sharabi, 52, is set to be released tomorrow (Saturday) from Hamas captivity, alongside Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levi. He was abducted from his home in Be'eri on October 7, the day of the Hamas-led massacre. But his story is not just one of abduction, it is a family tragedy. His wife, Lianne, and their two daughters, 13-year-old Yahel and 16-year-old Noya, were murdered. When he returns from the nightmare he endured, he will have to face the harrowing reality that his immediate family has been wiped out.
"We are overwhelmed and so happy to hear Eli's name on the list of those returning tomorrow. I want to thank everyone and all of Israel for standing with us. Now, please let us support Eli and protect his privacy," said the wife of Yossi Sharabi, Eli's sister-in-law, whose husband was murdered in captivity and whose body remains in Gaza, after the announcement of Eli's release.
At the same time that Eli was taken, his brother Yossi Sharabi, 51, who also lived in Be'eri, was kidnapped. Hamas later released a video of him in captivity, but in June, the IDF informed the family that he had been murdered and that his body was still being held in Gaza.
A brother fighting for his life
The Sharabi family consists of five siblings, two of whom were taken hostage. Stepping into the role of a determined advocate, 48-year-old Sharon Sharabi has become the face of the fight for their return, battling both for the release of his brother Eli, who was considered alive in captivity, and for Yossi's body to be brought back for burial.
"Beyond being brothers, we are also best friends," Sharon shared. "We don't even have time to grieve because we are fighting for Eli's life."
Rotem, Sharon's daughter and Eli's niece, has also spoken out about the toll on the family. "What we've been going through since then is unbearable. We are not the same family we used to be, something in our bond has been fractured, and it will never be the same again."
Eli is described as a sharp-minded man, a natural leader who always takes command. But in captivity, he was utterly powerless.
The hope of a mother's embrace
The Sharabi family originally lived in Tel Aviv. As a teenager, Eli moved to Be'eri and fell in love with life on the kibbutz. His younger brother Yossi followed him, and together they built their lives there. Their 75-year-old mother was initially shielded from the news of their abduction to spare her the pain. Eventually, the family had no choice but to tell her the truth.
Sharon is already picturing the emotional moment of reunion. "I can see the moment my mother hugs Eli, after we've lost four family members, Lianne, his wife, and their two daughters, Noya and Yahel. I will let my sisters have their moment first, and then I will say the Shehecheyanu blessing for having reached this time. And then, I will give him the biggest hug I know how to give, with the entire nation behind us."
