When Hamas attacked Israel two years ago on October 7, 2023, it was the worst loss of Jewish lives in a single day since the Holocaust.
Hundreds were also taken hostage. One of them was Eli Sharabi.
The Times of Israel reports that Eli Sharabi’s memoir about his 491 days in Hamas captivity is being translated into English after becoming a bestseller in Hebrew. His book tells the story of a man who spent a year and a half surviving not just for his own sake, but for the sake of those he had grown to care about while in captivity. Sharabi says true closure will only come for him when the remaining hostages are freed.
Sharabi, 53, was freed in February and soon faced the devastating truth that his wife and two daughters had been killed by Hamas on October 7. In his book, Hostage, he describes being held in dark, rat-infested tunnels with only moldy pita bread to eat, while the terrorists gorged on aid meant for Gaza’s civilians. Guards would beat him at will, whenever their rage surfaced. During this time, he grew close to fellow hostage Alon Ohel, 24, and came to think of him as a son.
Sharabi’s last memory of his family was the look of pure terror in their eyes as he was dragged out of his house in Kibbutz Be’eri. While in captivity, before he knew they were killed, he was determined to move his family far from the kibbutz, possibly to England, where his wife was from. He’s been back to the kibbutz only once, visiting outside his house.
He knows he will need to walk through his home at some point, as part of his rehabilitation process. He will need to see for himself the blood stains, the walls sprayed with bullets, and the shattered windows. But he said he isn’t yet ready to go inside.
“Surviving is building from lots of small victories,” Sharabi said. This was how he endured 491 days in Hamas captivity. He helped his fellow hostages stay active through exercise, by sharing moments of hope, and by dividing what little food they had. Even those who weren’t religious joined him in prayer on Friday nights for the Sabbath. Finding light in these fleeting moments of faith and fellowship is the central theme of his memoir.
With Israeli and Hamas peace talks beginning this week in Egypt—to secure a deal that would see the hostages released and the terror group disarmed—Sharabi’s activism for peace continues, driven by the fact that Ohel and others have yet to come home. On the second anniversary of October 7, we praise God that people like Sharabi have returned to share their stories—and we continue to pray that the remaining hostages will soon be safely released.
