Eli Sharabi, 53, who was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 491 days before being released in the most recent hostage deal, is set to address the United Nations Security Council on Thursday.
“I’ve come back from hell,” Sharabi said ahead of his speech. “Where was the Red Cross? Where was the UN?” He described his abduction from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists stormed his home, murdered his wife and daughters and dragged him to Gaza.
Held underground, starved and chained, he lost over 30 kilograms during his captivity. “I was treated worse than an animal,” he recalled, saying he was given little food or water and was routinely beaten and humiliated.
Sharabi’s testimony is expected to shed light on the conditions endured by Israeli hostages in Gaza and raise concerns over the lack of access provided to humanitarian organizations.
His address comes as international pressure mounts for the release of remaining hostages and scrutiny over the response of global bodies to their plight.
