Eli Sharabi: 491 Days Captive in Gaza Tunnels | Planet Normal Podcast

Life Before October 7th

• 🏡 Eli Sharabi describes Kibbutz Nir Oz as a "piece of heaven" and the "best place to raise" his family, enjoying a simple, concentrated life.
• 🇬🇧 His British-born wife, Leanne, moved to the kibbutz after falling in love with him, cherishing her English heritage and sense of humor about Israeli culture.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The family maintained strong ties with Leanne's family in England, spending every Christmas together and enjoying their British heritage.

The October 7th Attack and Kidnapping

• alarm 6:29 AM: The day began with an alarm, and the family took shelter in their safe room, initially unaware of the scale of the infiltration.
• 📝 WhatsApp messages from the community revealed terrorists had entered the kibbutz, urging residents to stay put.
• 🍞 In a moment of calm, Eli made English breakfast tea for his family, a tradition that offered a brief respite from the unfolding terror.
• 💔 The decision was made not to fight, believing their British passports might protect Leanne and the girls, while Eli, as an Israeli, expected to be kidnapped or killed.
• ⚔️ Terrorists entered their home, and despite identifying themselves as having British passports, Eli was taken, last seeing his wife and daughters terrified but composed.

Captivity in Gaza

• 🚗 Eli was driven into Gaza, facing a hostile mob before being taken into a mosque by Hamas terrorists.
• 🗣️ His ability to speak Arabic proved advantageous, surprising his captors who initially mistook him for an MI5 agent.
• 🏠 He was held with another captive, Alon, in a Palestinian family's home for 52 days, where he adopted a "survivor" mentality focused on zero ego and a mission to return to his family.
• 🚇 The group was then moved into the tunnels, a move Eli initially refused until a gun was pointed at his head, a moment that recalled his promise to his daughters.
• 🤝 Within the tunnels, he joined five other young hostages from the Nova festival, forming a strong bond and finding solace in speaking Hebrew and sharing experiences.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 Eli took on a fatherly role for the younger hostages, drawing on his life experience and sense of responsibility.

Daily Life and Resilience in Captivity

• 🔦 Conditions in the tunnels were dark, with minimal light, and involved being chained together, leading to extreme humiliation and loss of freedom.
• 🍽️ Food was scarce, with one meal a day, often just a small portion of bread or pasta, making hunger the most significant hardship.
• 🤝 The hostages refused to be bribed with food for reciting Quranic verses, maintaining their unity and identity as a small victory.
• 📦 Eli witnessed UN boxes of food being consumed by terrorists while they were being starved, highlighting the diversion of aid.
• 🚽 Torture included being made to wait for the toilet, with arguments among captors about their treatment.

Observations on Captors and the Conflict

• 🧠 Most captors were described as brainwashed, with limited knowledge of Israel, though older terrorists who had worked in Israel had more understanding.
• 🤝 Eli identified individual captors who showed compassion, even providing extra food, suggesting that in different circumstances, they might have been friends.
• 📺 Some captors repeatedly played footage of the October 7th massacres, using it as psychological terror.
• 🌍 The captors' ideology included a belief in establishing an Islamic empire, viewing Israel as just the beginning of a global conquest.
• 💰 Economic factors played a role, with some joining Hamas for salary, indicating not all were ideologically driven.

Release and Aftermath

• 💔 A painful moment was learning his brother Yosi had been killed, just days before his own release.
• 😥 The release was complicated by the news that Alon would be left behind for phase two, causing panic attacks for Alon and distress for the departing hostages.
• 📞 Upon release, Eli fulfilled a moral duty by calling Alon's parents to reassure them of his son's survival and strength.
• 🙏 He expressed immense gratitude for being alive and free, vowing to rebuild his life despite the profound personal loss of his wife and daughters.
• 💔 Visiting their graves was a necessary, albeit painful, step in his healing process.
• 📚 Eli finds fulfillment in the positive feedback on his book, particularly from autistic individuals and those who hadn't read in years, seeing it as a testament to the human spirit.

Message to the British Public

• factual 7th October: Eli urges the British public to look at the facts of the October 7th events, not just narratives.
• 🇬🇧 He highlights that his wife and daughters, who were murdered, held British passports, emphasizing the personal connection and tragedy.
• 🕊️ He hopes for the swift return of all hostages and for the war to end, allowing both Israel and its citizens to begin healing.
• 💪 Eli's message from his experience is that even in darkness, one can find light and faith, and that the capability to survive exists within everyone by understanding who they are fighting for.