Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the 'appalling conditions' that Hamas kept Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi in during his 491 days in captivity. Mr. Sharabi was released in a stage-managed ceremony alongside two other Israeli men, looking emaciated and frail after months of captivity. His release brought relief, but also heartache, as his family was killed by Hamas militants during the October 7, 2023, attack. The hostages' condition and the circumstances of their release sparked outrage in Israel.
Sir Keir Starmer has condemned the 'appalling conditions' that Hamas kept Israel i hostage Eli Sharabi in during his 491 days in captivity. Mr. Sharabi, 52, was seized from Kibbutz Beeri by the militants during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. His Bristol-born wife, Lianne, and teenage daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were killed by militants while hiding in their safe room, while his brother, Yossi Sharabi, who lived next door, was killed in captivity. Today, Mr.
Sharabi and fellow captives Ohad Ben Ami, 56, and Or Levy, 34, appeared emaciated as they were paraded by Hamas gunmen on a stage in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Following their release, the Prime Minister expressed his 'dismay' at Mr. Sharabi's condition in a social media post. He stated, 'I shared the relief of so many at Eli Sharabi's release earlier today but was dismayed to see his frail condition and the circumstances of his release. Having met his relatives, I appreciate the deep pain they have endured and my thoughts are with them.' Sir Keir added, 'We must continue to see all the hostages freed - these people were ripped away from their lives in the most brutal circumstances and held in appalling conditions.' Eli Sharabi (centre) looked gaunt as he was released by masked Hamas militants on Saturday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told of his 'dismay' at Mr. Sharabi's condition in a post on social media. Mr. Sharabi, whose wife and daughters were slain by Hamas on October 7, 2023, is seen in a file picture released after he was kidnapped. Mr. Sharabi's brother-in-law Steve Brisley, 48, of Bridgend, Wales, said, 'It has been a day of relief, all the way through joy, all the way through to heartache. Up until his name came out on the list yesterday afternoon, we still didn't know whether he was alive or dead.' The hostages' emaciated condition and the stage-managed ceremony, a departure from previous hostage releases where the captives were not made to speak, sparked outrage in Israel. After watching the televised ceremony from his home in Britain, Mr. Brisley said he did not recognize Mr. Sharabi at first, as he looked 'incredibly frail, incredibly pale and it's clear that he's not seen daylight for some time.' He added, 'It really struck me how it's clear how much weight he's lost. I mean, the baggy clothes were hanging off of him. You could see his wrists were bony. The thing that really struck me was his face. It's drawn and it's gaunt, the dark rings around his eyes. Eli has always been a very happy, smiley man and he smiles with his whole face and with his eyes. It was the spark was gone from his eyes, that's the thing I think I found most distressing to see. He looked confused and disoriented. It's not the Eli that that I know and love. Obviously, the impact of 491 days was written all over his face.' The three Israeli men were released in the fifth round of exchanges of hostages for Palestinians jailed by Israel. They were forced to give statements before waving and being taken away by the Red Cross. Mr. Sharabi and Mr. Ben Ami were both seized from kibbutz Beeri, and Mr. Levy was captured at the Nova music festival. Referring to survivors of Second World War prisoner camps, Mr. Brisley said, 'I think the comparison is clear there, with the bony, gaunt faces. It's haunting to see him like that. I can only imagine what the last 15 months has done to him to make him look like that. I think it's the light that's gone from his eyes, that's the most concerning thing, because physical pain and physical problems can be repaired much more easily than the mental ones.' It is not known if Mr. Sharabi is aware that his loved ones were killed but 'we know that some of the terrorists did kill family members in front of the people they've taken hostage, purely for the psychological terror of it,' Mr. Brisley said. He added, 'I do wonder if he hasn't known about it all this time, is the prospect of being reunited with Lianne and the girls been what's kept him going and nourished him for 491 days? What is it going to do to the man when he finds out that they're gone, because family is everything to him. He is a family man and everything he does, everything he is, is for his family. The joy he may have felt at walking to freedom will be completely shattered by the news that his family has gone.' As with other released hostages, Mr. Sharabi's relatives expect he will stay at a medical centre in central Tel Aviv, where the hospitals have essentially set up special wings for the former hostages so they and their families can have some privacy
HAMAS ISRAEL HOSTAGE RELEASE ELI SHARABI SIR KEIR STARMER GAZA BRISTOL WAR BRUTAL CONDITIONS
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