'Excited to see my family': Israeli hostage released after 491 days left heartbroken after wife and daughters were...

After being held captive by Hamas for 491 days, Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi was finally freed on Saturday morning. However, his return to Israel was marked by unimaginable heartbreak—he was unaware that his wife and two daughters had been killed in the October 7 Hamas attack in 2023.

In a heartbreaking moment, Mr. Sharabi was filmed saying, "I am very happy today to return to my wife and daughters," as reported by the BBC. He had no idea that his wife, Leanne, and daughters, Noya (16) and Yahel (13), had been murdered in their home in Kibbutz Be’eri. His grief deepened further when he learned that his brother, Yossi Sharabi, had died in captivity. His body is still being held in Gaza.

Mr. Sharabi was among three hostages released as part of the latest prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. The agreement, which was brokered under an internationally mediated ceasefire, saw Israel release 183 Palestinian prisoners in exchange. The other two Israeli hostages, Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy, were also handed over to the Red Cross before reuniting with their families.

His family, who live in the UK, were shocked by his frail condition upon his release. His brother, Sharon Sharabi, who had been campaigning for his freedom, described their devastating loss. “Eli is the last remnant of the Sharabi family still living in Gaza captivity. We have lost four family members. Around the Shabbat table, five chairs are missing. Four of them will never be sat in again,” he told The Jerusalem Post.

Mr. Sharabi’s brother-in-law, Steve Brisley, told the BBC that his thin and weak appearance was deeply upsetting. “It’s incredibly difficult to see him so thin and gaunt. But what really struck home for me was the light that’s gone from his eyes.”

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian prisoners who were released under the same deal were welcomed by their families in Ramallah and other areas. Some representatives claimed that the freed prisoners needed medical treatment, but specific details were not provided.

In a separate development, former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed on Saturday that he had approved the controversial Hannibal Directive during the October 7 attack. This military protocol allows Israeli forces to use extreme measures—even at the risk of harming hostages—to prevent them from being captured by enemy forces.

Since Israel launched its military operations in Gaza, at least 47,000 Palestinians have been killed, with some estimates exceeding 200,000.

The ongoing ceasefire deal, which started on January 19, has so far resulted in the release of 21 Israeli hostages and 566 Palestinian prisoners. By the end of the first phase of the agreement, which is expected to last three weeks, a total of 33 hostages and 1,900 prisoners will have been freed.