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The British family of a hostage held by Hamas has pleaded with authorities in Israel to let them break the news that his wife and children were killed in the October 7 attacks
The British family of a hostage held by Hamas last night begged the Israeli authorities: when he is freed let us tell him that his wife and children are dead.
Eli Sharabi, 52, is probably not aware that his British wife and teenage children were killed, his brother-in-law Stephen Brisley told the Mirror. Eli’s name was one of 33 on a list to be freed soon. Stephen, from Bridgend, Wales, pleaded that a family member be allowed to break the news to Eli when he is released – not to hear it from a soldier or an official.
He is part of the ‘hostage-for-prisoners’ deal between Israel and Hamas. Bristol born Lianne, 48, and their daughters Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13 were all killed in the horrific October 7th attacks. Eli was taken hostage – apparently before Hamas gunmen shot his family dead – and taken into Gaza.
Stephen said: “I think the prospect of getting back to Lianne and the girls is what’s kept him going all of this time. When he finds out that they are not alive, that could finish and crush him.” He added: “I want to reassure him that – regardless of fact that Lianne and the girls are no longer with us – we will always be here. That we will always be part of his family and he will always be part of our family.
“And that we will do whatever he needs us to do to help him recover, rehabilitate and to build a new life even without Lianne and the girls. That assumes Hamas is not lying and that Eli is alive. But I don’t yet know whether I’ll be travelling to Israel to see him and welcome him back, or to attend his funeral. It’s an awful situation to not know, one way or the other. We also don’t know what physical and mental state Eli is going to be in.”
Sharabi says Eli may benefit from the embrace of his British in-laws and parents-in-law, but also might find it too painful to be in the UK. Here, Brisley says, Eli would be reminded of the blissful days when he was visiting them each year with his wife Lianne and their daughters. He said: “We would love for him to come to the UK again. And sort of relive some of those memories. That’s if it’s helpful to him to have him back in the places that he knows and loves in the UK.
“But I can obviously appreciate that it might also be cripplingly difficult for him — to be around all these places where he felt good, and had happy memories.” Lianne’s parents brought Bristol blue stone to become part of their tombstones, and have tidied up the bullet-ridden small house in case Eli wants to live there again. Lianne’s mother Gill found a teddy bear there that Lianne had cuddled since a small girl, and has taken back to her Bridgend home.
Stephen said: “If she wants to have a conversation with Lianne at night or in the morning, she speaks to the [teddy] bear…as though she’s speaking to Lianne. I think it’s good for her to have something physical, something tangible to direct back to her daughter. It’s very important.” He added that he wants Hamas to be destroyed but fears it will regain influence in future. I cannot see any prospect of the killers of my sister and her family being brought to trial or to justice. But I cannot let myself be consumed by hatred and bitterness. It just wastes my energy. We all need to look forward.”
