Israeli hostage Eli Sharabi, who spent 491 days in Hamas captivity, shared his painful experience at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday. He expressed deep frustration and demanded the immediate return of all remaining hostages.

Life in Captivity

Sharabi revealed that when he gained freedom on February 8, he weighed only 44 kg—less than his youngest daughter. Hamas’ surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killed his wife and both daughters. That attack claimed around 1,200 lives and led to the abduction of 251 people.

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He described the horrors he endured. Captors starved, beat, and chained him like an animal. “I have come back from hell. I was kept underground, starved, beaten, and chained like an animal. For 491 days, I begged for food, begged to use the bathroom. Begging became my existence,” he said emotionally.

Sharabi Condemns Inaction

Sharabi criticized global organizations for their failure to act. “Where was the United Nations? Where was the Red Cross? Where was the world?” he asked. He challenged the UN Security Council to “prove” its commitment to humanity by securing the release of 59 hostages still in Gaza, some of whom may already be dead.

Address to the UN

Sharabi became the second freed hostage to testify before the council. Since Israel had requested the meeting to highlight the hostage crisis, his words carried significant weight.

He avoided discussing Israeli actions but recalled reassuring his wife on October 7. “The army will come, they always come,” he had told her. That morning, they never arrived.

He dedicated his speech to fellow hostage Alon Ohel, whom he left behind in a tunnel, and others still in captivity. He also honored his older brother Yossi, whom Hamas killed and whose body remains in Gaza. “Bring them all home. Now!” he demanded.

Global Reactions

Britain’s deputy ambassador, James Kariuki, called Sharabi’s suffering “beyond imagination” and insisted, “Hamas must be held accountable for their despicable actions.” However, he also criticized Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz’s call for the “total destruction of Gaza.”

Kariuki urged increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, an investigation into allegations of Palestinian detainee abuse by Israeli forces, and a return to a ceasefire.

Similarly, France’s UN ambassador, Jérôme Bonnafont, expressed condolences to Sharabi but condemned Israel’s renewed bombings. He argued that these actions would not help secure the hostages’ release. He also urged Israel to end its humanitarian blockade on Gaza.

Likewise, Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, acknowledged Sharabi’s suffering. “Our hearts filled with sorrow as we listened to the tragic story of Mr. Eli Sharabi,” he said, adding, “such brutality can have no justification.”

Violence Escalates in Gaza

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 85 Palestinians overnight, raising the total death toll to nearly 600 since Israel resumed attacks after breaking the ceasefire. The truce had previously allowed the release of over two dozen hostages and briefly calmed tensions.

In response, Hamas fired three rockets at Israel, but no casualties were reported. This marked the first attack since Israel ended the ceasefire on Tuesday.

Zaher al-Waheidi, head of the Gaza health ministry’s records department, reported that Israeli bombings had killed at least 592 people over the past three days.

Israeli Military Moves

The Israeli military reimposed a blockade on northern Gaza, including Gaza City. While officials did not order evacuations, they blocked residents from reentering the north. Civilians could only move south on foot along the coastal road. During the ceasefire, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had returned to what remained of their homes in northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israeli ground forces advanced near Beit Lahiya in the north and Rafah in the south. On Wednesday, Israel regained control of a section of the strategic Netzarim corridor, effectively splitting Gaza into two parts.