Eli Sharabi

Eli Sharabi is an Israeli resident of Kibbutz Be'eri who was abducted by Hamas militants during their October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, enduring 491 days in captivity before his release on February 8, 2025, as part of a mediated hostage exchange deal.

Sharabi was born in Tel Aviv-Yafo to a family of Yemenite and Moroccan Jewish descent, and at age 14, he and his brother Yossi moved to Kibbutz Be'eri as youth residents.

Sharabi's ordeal marks him as one of the longest-held survivors from the initial wave of abductions, during which he was taken from his home amid the massacre in his kibbutz. Upon release, he emerged physically weakened but resolute, later addressing the United Nations Security Council to advocate for remaining hostages. He distinguishes himself further as the author of Hostage, the first memoir by a freed captive from the event, offering a firsthand account of captivity in Gaza that details isolation, interrogations, and survival amid despair. The book, published in Israel in May 2025 and later in English, underscores his choice to document the experience publicly while rebuilding his life.