Eli Sharabi was 51 years old when he was taken hostage on October 7th from Kibbutz Be-eri after his wife and two daughters were killed. He turned 52 while being held by Hamas. Eli’s brother Yossi was also abducted from his home and murdered in captivity.

Hamas broke into Eli’s home, shouting in Arabic and laughing loudly, according to text messages between other family members with Eli, his wife Lianne and their daughters, Noiya, 16 and Yahel 13. The terrorists shot the family dog, then took the family hostage in their safe room.

Eli’s family was at first considered missing until the bodies of Lianne, Noiya and Yahel were identified more than a week later. They died hugging one another. There has been no sighting of Eli on social media or in photos and videos posted by Hamas.

Eli’s wife Lianne was British and went to work in Israel at 19 years old. She fell in love with the country and with Eli. Her brother Steve Brisley who lives in Wales has been diligently campaigning for Eli’s release:

“Eli loves the UK, and his British family loves him, because he is us and we are him. Eli loves a Sunday roast. He loves standing with me on the terraces watching Bristol Rovers play and, inevitably, lose! Eli loves to go to a British pub, to my children’s Christmas concerts, to the seaside to play on the
“penny slots” and he will sometimes even decline his beloved coffee in favour of a good old cup of British tea. He loves all these things, because we love all these things. He loves all these things, because he is us and we are him.

Eli is not “my sister’s husband”, he is my brother. Eli is as much an integral part of my British family as my own two daughters. I have known and loved him for 28 years and shared countless memories with him, both in Israel and the UK. Eli’s part in my British family was not extinguished when my sister’s life was brutally ended. Eli’s part in my British family was not broken when our hearts were. Because he is us and we are him.”

They are us and we are them.