The British family of Eli Sharabi, an Israeli who was freed from Gaza over the weekend, have shared their mixed emotions over his release. Sharabi had been held hostage by Hamas for 16 months. During his captivity, Mr Sharabi’s British-born wife, Lianne, and two teenaged daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were found murdered in their home. The couple’s family expressed joy at Sharabi’s release but are concerned about his gaunt appearance along with the effect that the attack may have had on his mental state. Moreover, they don’t know if Sharabi is aware of the brutal attack that claimed the lives of his family.
Following his release, Hamas presented Mr Sharabi on stage before he was handed over to the Red Cross, which Sharabi’s family found demeaning. His brother-in-law stated, “it was incredibly difficult to see him paraded in the way he was”. Moreover, Sharabi’s father-in-law was surprised by, and greatly concerned, about his thin, emaciated appearance. His first response post-release would deal with the fate of his wife and daughters.
However, Foreign Secretary David Lammy welcomed the release of Mr Sharabi. He has called for a ceasefire deal to be implemented in full, including the release of the remaining hostages. The ceasefire deal has been agreed between Hamas and Israel and was due on the 19th of January. Since then, part of it has been implemented, and so far, 16 hostages have been freed over five releases, and 566 prisoners have been released.
The ceasefire has witnessed the release of about 33 hostages. The 251 hostages were seized by Hamas on October 7, and about 1,200 people were killed in that attack, which triggered the conflict. Over the course of the attacks, at least 47,500 Palestinians have been killed, and around two-thirds of Gaza’s buildings have been damaged or destroyed
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
