THE Hamas hostage who lost his British wife and teenage daughters in the October 7 massacre is among the three Israelis to be released today.
Three men, Eli Sharabi aged 52, Ohad Ben Ami aged 56, and Or Levy aged 34, will be surrendered in return for 183 Palestinian captives as part of the recent truce negotiation.
Eli and Ohad were both kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the hardest-hit communities in the heinous October 7 attacks.
And 34-year-old Or’s nightmare began at the Nova music festival, where Hamas terrorists stormed the site, killing hundreds.
Eli’s British-born wife Lianne, 48, and two teenage daughters Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, were killed during the massacre.
An Israeli soldier discovered the bodies of the mum and her girls “all cuddled together”.
Eli’s brother Yossi Sharabi, who was also kidnapped by Hamas, was later executed in a sick Hamas video.
Steve Brisley, hailing from Bridgend and Eli’s brother-in-law, has been eagerly anticipating Eli’s liberation. He mentioned that hope was diminishing among the family as time passed.
Steve told The Sun: “Its been a whirlwind few hours, it’s been a hell of a day.
“We were hoping to see Eli’s name on the list and as Hamas delayed releasing the list we had started to lose hope.
“I was at home and suddenly my phone pinged that Hamas released the list and Eli’s name was first.
“In some way it’s a relief because it means he’s alive.
“Up until now we didn’t know if he would be returned to us alive or dead so it closed that limbo if not knowing.”
Despite the upcoming release, Steve is apprehensive about Eli’s condition upon his return. He expressed his concerns about the uncertainties that may still arise, emphasizing the need for a safe transition for Eli.
He also said that Eli’s release would be the “greatest memorial” for Lianne and his teenage girls – but described the agony of Eli finding out about the death of his family.
Steve added that Eli also “doesn’t know about his brother Yossi” who was killed and “his body is still in Gaza”.
“Up until the last hostage is free it’s not going to end for us,” he said.
Or’s wife was also killed during the horrific attack, and his now three-year-old son has been looked after by relatives for the past 16 months while he has been held by the terrorists.
The third of the hostages being released today Ohad, a father of three, was kidnapped alongside his wife Raz.
Raz was released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023 and hasn’t seen or heard from her husband since.
Fears are now growing for Hamas’ two youngest hostages – Kfir Bibas, two, and Ariel Bibas, five – who still haven’t been named to be freed since the fragile ceasefire deal began on January 19.
The boys were kidnapped alongside their parents from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 bloodbath.
Kfir was only nine months old when he was barbarically kidnapped and forced to spend the majority of his life as a hostage.
Their mum, Shiri Bibas, and the children were last seen alive in a video being marched through Gaza by gunmen.
In November, Hamas claimed Shiri and her sons had been killed in an Israeli airstrike — a statement Israel’s military said it could not verify at the time.
They are currently the only known Israeli minors still unaccounted for in Gaza.
Their dad, Yarden Bibas, was in the latest group of hostages to be released a few days ago.
He was reportedly separated from his wife and sons and held in a different location.
Yarden, 34, was released alongside two others after being held for 484 days – but his family is still “incomplete” with no sign of his captured wife and young sons.
In their first statement since the dad’s release, the family said : “A quarter of our heart has returned to us after 15 long months.
“There are no words to describe the relief of holding Yarden in our hands, embracing him and hearing his voice.
“Yarden has returned home but the home remains incomplete.”
They added that despite the father’s safe return he has come back to an “unbearable reality” without his sons.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari previously said that the IDF is “very concerned and worried” about the condition of the Bibas children and their mother.
Baby Kfir turned two in captivity in January.
Across Israel, posters of the red-haired toddler clutching his pink elephant have become a painful symbol of the hostage crisis.
What happened on October 7?
ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.
Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.
The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.
Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.
And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival – killing at least 364 people there alone.
The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.
The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 15 months of devastation that followed.
