Today, Eli Sharabi, along with his brother Sharon, had an emotional meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street. The Prime Minister extended a warm welcome to Eli, just under a month after his release. During their conversation, Eli shared the horrifying details of his captivity at the hands of the terrorist group Hamas, where he was subjected to severe beatings and starvation for almost 500 days. Reflecting on his ordeal, Eli remarked, “I never lost hope of returning home.”
The Prime Minister expressed his heartfelt condolences for the brutal killings of Eli’s wife Lianne, their two daughters Yahel and Noiya, all of whom were British citizens, and Eli’s brother Yossi, who died while in captivity.
Eli took the opportunity to express his gratitude to the British Prime Minister for his year-long efforts, working together with Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, to secure his release. He urged Starmer to continue his relentless efforts to ensure that all remaining hostages—both those alive and those who have died—are brought home.
Starmer shared that he had watched Eli’s recent interview on Keshet12’s “Uvda” program, noting that it deeply affected him. “It moved me and was very powerful,” he said. He added that the term “‘inhumane’ is a word that is used too often, but your experience justifies that word.”
The Prime Minister reassured Eli that the British government would continue to exert all efforts to free the hostages. “We will redouble our efforts,” he promised, stressing that “this is our number one priority.”
As a gesture of appreciation, Eli presented Prime Minister Starmer with a framed Peter Brookes cartoon that portrayed Eli, along with fellow captives Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, emerging from captivity on February 8. Their frail, emaciated appearance shocked the world. The cartoon also featured images of Holocaust survivors with the caption: “Never Again.” Earlier this week, Eli had delivered the same cartoon to U.S. President Trump in the Oval Office.
Sharon Sharabi, who has previously visited Downing Street several times to meet with Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, had made a promise to return with Eli, a promise he has now fulfilled. Eli and Sharon will persist in their mission to secure the release of all 59 remaining hostages, including their brother Yossi.
{Matzav.com}