Social Issues Correspondent
BBC News, Bristol
EPAThe Israeli hostage released from Gaza didn’t know that his wife and daughter were killed in the October 7 attack until they were released on Saturday, his British family said .
Eli Sharabi was taken to Hamas 16 months ago and was released on Saturday at Dale Al Bala in Gaza.
His wife, Lian Sharabi, from Bristol, and daughters Noya and Yahel, were found to have been murdered in 2023 at the “embracing” Safe House.
Lianne’s parents, Gil and Pete Brisley, told the BBC on Sunday that Israeli Defense Force (IDF) soldiers told Sharabi what happened to his family.
His relatives were not sure if Mr. Sharabi knew that Lianne, Noya and Yahel (Mrs. Brisley’s daughter and grandson) had been killed in the attack on October 7th.
He was one of three hostages handed over 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, Sharabi said, “Today… I’m very pleased to be back to my wife and daughter,” and concerns he doesn’t realize what happened to them. Added.
Mrs. Brisley said that when she later spoke on a video call, Mr. Sharabi was “clear” and that he “voice is a bit husky.”
“He choked a few times, but managed a small smile for us. Such a brave man,” said the couple who are planning to jump out to meet him soon.
Mrs. Brisley, who lives in Bridend, South Wales, said she cried out on a live stream when she saw her son-in-law’s release.
They said that Mr. Sharabi’s face looked “Gant.”
Brisley said it would “waver a bit,” which was a “very emotional morning.”
He said: “When we saw Eli, it was to see the debilitating state they put him in.
“Eli has a normally pretty chubby face. You see his film, hollow eyes, sunken cheeks, his wrists were sticks.”
Mrs. Brisley said: “I saw Eli come out and it got it all back.
“I sat with Leanne’s teddy bear hugging me. I think I actually got him wet. It reminded me of what we had lost.”
“The only thing that keeps us moving is the fact that we know Eli is back. At least we have one very close family member who is still alive.” Mrs. Brisley said.
“(We) are grateful to him for our two beautiful granddaughters, but we haven’t had them for long enough. We now need to focus on all happy times there is.
“So we live in memories. That’s all we can do. Think about them, talk about them, and make sure no one forgets them.”
“We want to be part of bringing him back to some sort of normalcy,” Brisley said.
Lianne grew up in Staple Hill, outside Bristol, and at the age of 19 she first moved to Israel as a Kibutz volunteer, and forever moved to the country.
Just three months later in Israel, she met Eli. They had two daughters, Noya and Yahel. He was 16 and 13 when he was killed.
One of Eli’s brothers, Yossi, was also taken hostage on October 7th, but was later taken prisoner. Hamas said his death was the result of an Israeli airstrike, and that Israel said it was.
The release of the three hostages was under a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel and came into effect on January 19th.
Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday. The ceasefire agreement released a total of 33 hostages in weekly handovers on October 7 in exchange for 1,900 Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
So far, 16 Israeli hostages have been released and 566 prisoners have been released since the ceasefire began.
On October 7, Hamas seized 251 hostages and killed about 1,200 people when attacking Israel, causing war.
At least 47,500 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli attack, according to the Hamasran Health Ministry in Gaza.
About two-thirds of Gaza buildings were damaged or destroyed by Israeli attacks, the UN says.
