Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben-Ami, and Or Levy were released Shabbat morning from Hamas captivity. The three looked gaunt and are in poor physical health, but were forced to thank their captors for "treating" them.
Eli Sharabi, who turns 53 next week, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Be'eri on the morning of October 7th. He lost his entire immediate family in the massacre: His wife Leanne and two daughters Yahel and Noya were murdered by Hamas terrorists. His brother, Yossi Sharabi, was also kidnapped on October 7th, and was declared dead during his time in captivity, after he was accidentally killed when the IDF struck the building he was being held in. His body is still held in Gaza.
Eli's brother Sharon Sharabi told Kan News: "Eli is returning to a difficult reality. It's like a horror movie. Maybe he heard what happened to his family and had time to digest it. And if he did not hear, then he should hear it when he is in supportive and professional hands."
Eli was raised in Tel Aviv, one of five siblings. At a young age, he fell in love with Kibbutz Be'eri, and built his home there, drawing his brother Yossi after him. His family has not heard any information on his fate since he was kidnapped.
"I am sure that Eli's embrace will be the embrace of a whole nation, which has done everything to bring him home. We hope that we will be able to heal his soul and help him believe that new life can dawn."
Ohad Ben-Ami, 56, was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Be'eri. He was shot and lightly injured as he closed the blinds in his home as Hamas terrorists neared it. His wife Raz, who was hiding in the bomb shelter, was witness to his capture, and afterwards was also kidnapped to Gazas. She was released in a November 2023 prisoner swap deal. In footage published by Hamas terrorist on Telegram, Ohad can be seen being kidnapped in a short shirt and boxers.
Ohad is an accountant and his family and friends say that he is a good cook. Ohad and Raz are parents to three daughters, Yulie, Ella, and Natalie, who fought together with their mother for their father's release.
"When you come back, you will not believe what lionesses they have turned into, they are fighting for you every day," Raz said.
Or Levy was kidnapped from the Nova music festival on the morning of the October 7th massacre. He arrived at the party with his wife, Einav, a short time before the attack began. They hid together in the "bomb shelter of death," where Einav was murdered and Or was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. Footage of the kidnapping shows Or together with Eliya Cohen and Hirsh Goldberg-Polin on a vehicle traveling towards Gaza.
Or and Einav lived in Givatayaim, and Or was employed as a programmer. Their son, Almog, was two years old when his father was kidnapped and his mother murdered. Or's family showed him photos of his father and said, "Abba (Daddy) got lost and wants to come back as quickly as possible."
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters responded to the release, saying: "1945 Is Now! The horrifying images of Ohad, Eli, and Or reveal the devastating toll of 491 days in Hamas captivity. These are men who have endured hell itself. This is a crime against humanity."
"These disturbing images show the entire world the desperate reality facing every hostage still held in Gaza. These images evoke the horrifying pictures from the liberation of the camps in 1945, the darkest chapter of our history. We have to get ALL OF THE HOSTAGES out of hell.
"There can be no more delays - a second stage of the hostage deal must be implemented immediately!"
Natalie Ben-Ami, daughter of Ohad, responded: "Finally, my heart will be whole." Kibbutz Be'eri responded: "With the return of Ohad and Eli, we breathe deeply, but our breath will not return to normal until all of the hostages are returned safely to heal in the embrace of their families, and all of those killed are returned for burial."
Natalie and her sisters, Yulie and Ella, spoke with him by phone and are waiting to meet him at Ichilov Hospital. They shared: "Our father has emerged from the horror, and you can see the trauma he endured written on his face. But we are staying strong for him here, just as he stays strong for us, and soon we'll be able to embrace him. We got our father back. Now we must not stop until the last hostage is returned."
