Hope is all we've got, says Hamas victim's brother

Steve Brisley's sister Lianne was killed in the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on 7 October 2023

A man whose sister and two nieces were killed in the Hamas attacks on Israel is campaigning to free his brother-in-law from captivity.

Steve Brisley's sister, Lianne Sharabi, nieces Noiya, 16, Yahel, 13, and their family dog were murdered on 7 October last year, when Hamas launched a series of cross-border attacks from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel.

Mr Brisley, from Bridgend, said he last heard of his brother-in-law Eli's survival in November.

He told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: "Hope is all we've got" as they "don't know whether he's alive or dead".

Eli Sharabi, pictured with his family, has been missing since he was captured 11 months ago

"It was a normal Saturday morning for me. I scrolled through the news and saw that rockets were coming from Gaza into Israel.

"I sent a message to my sister, as I usually do, but I never got a response to that message," he said.

His family still do not know what happened to Eli, or if he saw events that day.

"We know he was alive in November but that is the sole piece of news we've had," he added.

Mr Brisley said Lianne was a talented musician and singer, who retrained as a dental nurse in recent years.

He said: "Once we had confirmation about Lianne and the girls, I had to go and tell my parents that their only daughter was dead.

"It's the sort of thing they will never get over. You don't expect that you're going to outlive your children."

Speaking about his nieces, he said: "What they might have become is what you feel has been robbed from you".

"It's something you have to get on with but it's not something any of us will get over."

Yahel, left, and Noiya, right, were killed along with their family dog, Mokka

The Foreign Office said a team of experts was providing ongoing support to family members in the UK and Israel.

It said it will "continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages, in co-ordination with international partners".

"The fighting must stop now. We need an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and all hostages still cruelly detained by Hamas must be released.

"We also need to see the urgent delivery of unfettered aid into Gaza."