Speaking at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv tonight, Eli Sharabi — who endured captivity under Hamas — made a heartfelt appeal to President Donald Trump, urging him to act swiftly to secure the return of the remaining hostages. “The window of opportunity to bring home all 50 hostages – living and dead – is open NOW and it won’t be for long,” Sharabi declared.
He thanked Trump for his prior efforts and pleaded for continued action, saying, “President Trump, being in those tunnels is h—. Thank you for bringing me – and so many others – back home. We need your help now to bring back my brother Yossi, and 49 other hostages. Your vision for a new Middle East is possible only when ALL hostages are back home.”
Sharabi reflected on the tragedy that befell his own family during the October 7 massacre, speaking with deep sorrow about the loss of his wife and daughters. “Lianne, may her memory be a blessing, my dear wife. A British citizen who fell in love with me. She fell in love with this land. Her only desire was to raise our daughters in peace, quietly. Noya and Yahel, may their memories be a blessing, my beloved daughters. Children whose smile, sensitivity, and willingness to help others were their way of life. A whole family that was murdered. Erased. A whole life cut short. A home that was shattered in an instant.”
Turning his attention to those still missing, Sharabi made clear that his plea was on behalf of the living as much as the dead. “I stand here not only for those who are no longer with us. I am also here for those still waiting,” he said. “For those who can and should be saved! Yossi, may his memory be a blessing, my dear brother, who walked with me in the same path within the Be’eri community. A brother with a pure heart. His wife Nira, his daughters Yuval, Ophir, and Oren, his mother, his siblings — everyone is waiting for his return for a proper burial. Every day since the moment of his abduction, the pain, mourning, and loss only deepen.”
He also spoke of his close friend, Alon Ohel, who remains in Hamas custody. “Alon, my dear friend, beloved, handsome, an artist with a noble and delicate soul, is waiting there in the darkness of the tunnel. I promised you I wouldn’t rest until you are freed and returned to your family’s embrace.”
Sharabi described the trauma that began on October 7 and has yet to lift. “Since October 7, our lives have ceased to be life,” he said. “Hundreds of families have lost their dearest loved ones. Others are still living in an awful and agonizing wait. To those who claim there are ‘fifty hostages’ still not returned, I would suggest rephrasing, to be accurate — fifty hostage families remain in Gaza. The families are asking themselves every moment: Will our loved ones survive this hell? Are they in life-threatening danger at this very moment? Are they hungry? Humiliated? Beaten? Could they disappear forever in the soil of Gaza? Do you understand the depth of this fracture?”
Sharabi stressed that the issue transcends politics and cuts to the core of the nation’s values. “To be a moral, responsible, and just state means not abandoning anyone,” he declared. “Not civilians. Not soldiers. No matter where they are held. No matter the price. Because the moment our hearts stop beating for them, we cease to be a state. This is not a political issue. It’s not a question of right or left. It’s a question of morality. A question of humanity. A question of heart!”
With raw emotion, Sharabi spoke of the personal burden he carries every day. “I live with the grief,” he said. “I carry it with me everywhere — alongside life — not in its place!”
He closed his remarks by addressing the other families still awaiting answers. “And to you, the families of the hostages, families who have no moment of peace,” he said, “You are the pillar of fire leading the camp. My brothers and sisters in pain and hope — I see you, I feel you, I stand beside you. Your strength, your faith, your tears — they are the testimony for us of what truly matters.”
{Matzav.com}