The moment freed hostage Eli Sharabi learned Hamas had murdered his wife and daughters
Brother-in-law Steve Brisley campaigned tirelessly for the release of Eli and the other hostages
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
The brother-in-law of Eli Sharabi has described the moment the newly freed Gaza hostage learned that his wife and two daughters had been murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7th.
Steve Brisley, who flew to Israel from his home in Wales to be reunited with Sharabi after he was freed on February 8th, told BBC Wales:””It wasn’t until he was in the Israeli army vehicle being transferred from Gaza into Israel that he asked ‘are Lianne and the girls waiting for me?’
“One of the soldiers had to tell him that they had in fact been murdered on the 7th and were not waiting for him.”
Sharabi, 52, was taken by Hamas from Kibbutz Beeri on 7 October 2023, while unbeknown to him until his release from Gaza, his British-born wife Lianne and their two teenage daughters Noiya and Yahel were found murdered in their home.
Brisley had campaigned tirelessly for the release of his brother-in-law and all the hostages since October 7th.
Lianne grew up in Staple Hill, on the outskirts of Bristol, moving to Israel as a volunteer on a kibbutz when she was 19.
She met Eli months after moving to Israel .Their two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, who were 16 and 13 when they were killed.
Eli’s brother Yossi, was also taken hostage on 7 October, but was later killed in captivity.
“I’ve spent 16 months speaking on his behalf because he didn’t have a voice, obviously now he’s out he will have his own story and his own truth to tell,” he told the BBC.
Sharabi was one of three hostages handed to the Red Cross by Hamas in another staged release in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
He was made to step onto a stage at the release, and was even asked by Hamas terrorists if he was looking forwards to seeing his wife and children again.
Brisley, who was watching the release with his own family, said that when they saw Sharabi step out of the vehicle that had taken him from Gaza “he was unrecognisable”.
Meeting Shrarabi in Israel again, Brisley said:”It was emotional, we shared tears, we shared hugs, obviously he got quite choked at times but he was able to talk about them.”
“He spent 490 days in captivity and his first thought was to make sure we were okay and to express his condolences to us for the loss of Lianne and the girls,” he added.
Brisley said his brother-in-law hasn’t spoken to him much about his time in captivity, but added “his emaciated frame shows the starvation all the hostages have spoken of has been his experience as well. ”
He travelled to the site of the Novas festival when in Israel.
“I sat on the floor and sobbed,” Brisley said.
Looking to the future he added:”Now Eli is back we have somewhere to direct that love and I think that will help us to grieve for Lianne and the girls.
“We’re looking to close a chapter of this whole horrific book, but we’re going to be dealing with it for the rest of our life.”
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