After 491 days in captivity, freed Israeli man returns home to find his wife, daughters dead

After spending 491 days in Hamas captivity, Eli Sharabi was finally freed on Feb 8 morning, but his return to Israel came with an unimaginable heartbreak.

Sharabi did not know that his wife and two daughters had been killed during the October 7 Hamas attack in 2023.

Sharabi was filmed saying, "I am very happy today to return to my wife and daughters," according to BBC, completely unaware that his wife, Leanne, and daughters — Noya (16) and Yahel (13), had been murdered in their home in Kibbutz Be'eri.

As he was set to be freed, he was also informed that his brother, Yossi Sharabi, had died in captivity - his body still being held in Gaza.

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

Sharabi's UK-based family described their shock at his gaunt and frail appearance upon his release.

His brother, Sharon, who campaigned tirelessly for his release, told The Jerusalem Post, "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."

His brother-in-law, Steve Brisley was quoted as saying by BBC that his "gaunt" appearance was deeply troubling. "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."

At the same time, Palestinian prisoners were welcomed home in Ramallah and other parts of the occupied West Bank. Representatives claimed they needed medical care, though no specifics were given.

Separately, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant confirmed on Feb 8 that he had authorized the controversial Hannibal Directive during the October 7 attack. The military protocol allows the use of force even at the risk of killing hostages — to prevent them from being captured by enemy forces. Since then, Israel's military operations in Gaza have killed at least 47,000 Palestinians, with some estimates exceeding 2 lakh.

Since the ceasefire deal began on Jan 19, a total of 21 hostages and 566 Palestinian prisoners have been released. By the end of the first phase of the ceasefire, expected to last three weeks, a total of 33 hostages and 1,900 prisoners will have been freed.