After 491 days as a captive of Hamas terrorists, Eli Sharabi has returned to Israel following his abduction during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Kibbutz Be’eri. His homecoming was bittersweet; his wife and two daughters were murdered by Hamas during the massacre.
Sharabi and his family resided in Kibbutz Be’eri, a border community severely impacted by the October 7, 2023, attacks. In January 2024, Israel confirmed the death of Sharabi’s brother, Yossi, who was also held hostage.
The October 7 attacks on Kibbutz Be’eri resulted in the deaths of 98 people and the kidnapping of 30, approximately one-tenth of the kibbutz’s population. Sharabi and Ohad Ben-Ami, who was also released on February 8, 2025, were among those abducted.
It remains unclear if Sharabi is aware of the fate of his wife, Lianne, and daughters, Noiya (16) and Yahel (13). Similarly, it is unknown if Or Levy, released on February 8, 2025, knows his wife was killed on October 7, 2023.
Sharabi is not the only hostage reunited with a drastically altered reality. Yarden Bibas, abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz, was released on February 1, 2025, after 480 days in captivity, only to discover his wife, Shiri, and their two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, remain held by Hamas.
The image of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas’s kidnapping circulated widely online, showing the two red-haired boys clinging to their mother. Kfir, now two, was nine months old at the time of his abduction, making him the youngest hostage. Ariel and Kfir are the only children taken on October 7 who remain in Gaza. Their condition remains unknown.
“Sadly, my family hasn’t returned to me yet. They are still there. My light is still there, and as long as they’re there, everything here is dark. Thanks to you, I was brought back – help me bring the light back to my life,” Yarden stated in a release from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. This was his first public statement since his release.
While captive, Bibas was coerced into making a propaganda video for Hamas, where he broke down while Hamas falsely claimed his family was killed. Such videos are employed by Hamas as “psychological terror,” according to the IDF. However, Shiri, Kfir, and Ariel were included on Hamas’ list of 33 hostages slated for release in the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Yarden directly addressed Prime Minister Netanyahu in his statement: “, I’m now addressing you with my own words, which no one dictated to me: Bring my family back. Bring my friends back. Bring everyone home.”
The release of Sharabi, Levy, and Ben-Ami marks the fifth round of hostage releases. Although they too participated in a Hamas-organized ceremony before leaving Gaza, their appearance differed significantly from previously released hostages. They appeared severely malnourished and exhausted, with many online comparing their state to Holocaust victims.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the men’s “emaciated and pained” state as a “crime against humanity.” Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed to act, stating their condition would “not be ignored.”
In a statement to Digital, Ruby and Hagit Chen, whose son Itay Chen remains held by Hamas, expressed concern over the “disturbing images” and demanded Netanyahu initiate “intensive negotiations” to secure the release of all remaining hostages, including their son.
Seventy-six hostages remain in Hamas captivity, many believed to be alive. Eighteen hostages have been released so far under the current ceasefire agreement, in exchange for over 550 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel.