Freed Israeli hostage was unaware wife and daughters killed, British family says

Eli Sharabi was freed by Hamas on Saturday

An Israeli hostage freed from Gaza did not know his wife and daughters were killed in the 7 October attack until after his release on Saturday, his British family said.

Eli Sharabi was taken by Hamas 16 months ago and released on Saturday in Deir al-Balah, in Gaza.

His wife Lianne Sharabi, who was from Bristol, and daughters Noiya and Yahel were found murdered in their safe house "cuddled together" in 2023.

Lianne's parents Gill and Pete Brisley told the BBC on Sunday that an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldier told Mr Sharabi what happened to his family.

His relatives had been unsure whether Mr Sharabi knew that Lianne, Noiya and Yahel - Mr and Mrs Brisley's daughter and grandchildren - were killed in the 7 October attack.

He was one of three hostages handed to the Red Cross by Hamas in a choreographed release on Saturday as part of an internationally brokered ceasefire deal.

Speaking on stage during his release, Mr Sharabi said he was "very happy today to return to... my wife and daughters", adding to concerns that he was unaware of what happened to them.

Mr and Mrs Brisley said Mr Sharabi was "lucid" and his "voice a bit husky" when they spoke later on a video call.

Pete and Gill Brisley are due to travel to see Eli Sharabi soon

"He got choked up a couple of times but managed a small smile for us. Such a brave man," said the couple who are due to fly out to see him soon.

Mr and Mrs Brisley, who live in Bridgend, south Wales, said they cried watching their son-in-law's release on a livestream.

They said Mr Sharabi's face looked "gaunt".

Mr Brisley said it left them "a bit wobbly" and it was a "very emotional morning".

He said: "When we saw Eli it was to see the emaciated state that they've put him in.

"Eli's got quite a chubby face normally. You see the film of him with hollow eyes, sunken cheeks and his wrists were sticks."

Mrs Brisley said: "Seeing Eli come out now, it brought everything back. [We] sat and bawled our eyes out.

"I was sitting there cuddling Lianne's teddy bear. I think I made him wet actually. It reminded us of what we lost."

British-Israeli Lianne (centre), Noiya (right) and Yahel (left) were killed in the 7 October attack

"The only thing that keeps us going is the fact we know Eli is back. At least there's one member of our very close family that is still alive," Mrs Brisley said.

"[We're] grateful to him for our two beautiful granddaughters, didn't have them for long enough. We need now to concentrate on all of the happy times.

"So we live in our memories, that's all we can do. Think about them, talk about them, and make sure nobody forgets them."

Mr Brisley said: "We hope to be a part of getting him back to some sort of normal."

Lianne grew up in Staple Hill, on the outskirts of Bristol, and first moved to Israel as a volunteer on a kibbutz when she was 19, before relocating to the country permanently.

After just three months in Israel, she met Eli. They had two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, who were 16 and 13 when they were killed.

One of Eli's brothers, Yossi, was also taken hostage on 7 October, but was later killed in captivity. Hamas said his death was the result of an Israeli airstrike, which Israel said was likely.

Another of the hostages freed on Saturday, Or Levy, also learned upon his release that his wife was killed by Hamas during the attack in which he was abducted, his brother said.

Michael Levy told journalists: "For 491 days, he [Or] held on to the hope that he would return to her. For 491 days, he didn't know she was no longer alive."

He said his brother was "alive" and "here", but their family's "happiness is mixed with an immense sadness, a pain that cannot be described".

The release of the three hostages comes under the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, which came into effect on 19 January.

Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday. The ceasefire deal will see a total of 33 hostages taken on 7 October released in weekly hand-overs in exchange for 1,900 Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

So far, 16 Israeli hostages have been freed and 566 prisoners have been released since the ceasefire began.

On 7 October Hamas seized 251 hostages and killed about 1,200 people when it attacked Israel, triggering the war.

At least 47,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry.

About two-thirds of Gaza's buildings have been damaged or destroyed by Israel's attacks, the UN says.