“Hostage”: First Memoir by Freed Israeli Captive Eli Sharabi to Release on October 7
Eli Sharabi’s memoir Hostage, detailing his 491 days in Hamas captivity after the October 7, 2023, attack, will be released in the U.S. on the tragedy’s second anniversary. The book, a bestseller in Israel, recounts his survival, family’s murder, and enduring faith, amplifying urgency to free the remaining 50 hostages.
On October 7, 2025, marking two years since Hamas’s brutal attack on Israel, the first memoir by a freed hostage, Eli Sharabi, will be published in the U.S. Titled Hostage, the book recounts the 53-year-old’s 491 days in captivity following the assault on his Be’eri kibbutz, where Hamas killed 1,200 people and abducted 251. Sharabi was at home with his British-born wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters when terrorists shot their dog, dragged Eli and his brother Yossi away, and set the safe room holding Lianne and the girls ablaze. Rescue teams later confirmed the tragic deaths of Lianne and her daughters, burned alive, and months later, the IDF verified Yossi’s death in captivity. Sharabi, unaware of his family’s fate until his release in February 2025 alongside Or Levy, 34, and Ohad Ben Ami, 56, endured starvation and abuse, weighing under 100 pounds upon return.
Published by Harper Influence, an imprint of HarperCollins, Hostage has already become a bestseller in Israel in its Hebrew edition. The publisher describes Sharabi’s account, written in “stark, unflinching prose,” as detailing the bonds formed with fellow captives, including Alon Ohel, still held in Gaza, with whom Sharabi forged a father-son-like connection. Sharabi stated, “It was important to me that the story come out as quickly as possible, so that the world will understand what life is like inside captivity. Once they do, they will not be able to remain indifferent. But I also want readers to know that even in the darkest of times, you can always seek out the light and choose humanity.” His faith, he writes, sustained him through brutal conditions.
The memoir’s release amplifies Israel’s anguish over the 50 remaining hostages, with IDF intelligence estimating 27 are deceased as of July 2025. Weekly rallies in Tel Aviv, drawing thousands, demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secure a deal to free survivors like Alon Ohel, amid stalled Doha talks with Hamas. Posts on X reflect public sentiment, with one user noting, “Sharabi’s story is a gut-punch Israel must bring the rest home.” The book, launched amid rising global antisemitism, aims to humanize the hostages’ plight and bolster calls for their release.
