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\nEli Sharabi was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 , 2023 and held captive for 491 days.
\nPhoto: Blake Ezra\n<\/p>\n
On October 7th 2023, Eli Sharabi was kidnapped by Hamas and held for 491 days.<\/p>\n
He and his wife and two daughters were in their home on a kibbutz in Southern Israel when the attack happened.<\/p>\n
His next 14 months were spent mostly in tunnels under Gaza – with often cruel, but occasionally kind captors, little food, no sunlight – and most importantly no knowledge that his British wife and teenage daughters had been killed the day he was taken.<\/p>\n
It was only after his release in February that he learned that terrible news, and that his brother had also died captive in Gaza.<\/p>\n
Sharabi said it was a “devastating moment” when they weren’t there to greet him.<\/p>\n
Despite his horrendous ordeal, Eli Sharabi regards himself as lucky and says he does not hate his captors.<\/p>\n
“Even when they humiliate me, even they violate … against me from time to time you understand it’s necessary to have this relationship with them if you want to go back to your family.”<\/p>\n
He is the first released Israeli hostage to write a book<\/a> about his experience.<\/p>\n Sharabi shares his story with Nine to Noon’s Kathryn Ryan. Listen live at the top of this page, on the RNZ app or your local RNZ frequency.<\/p>\n