U.S. President Donald Trump has invited Eli Sharabi and other Israeli freed hostages to a meeting at the White House after viewing portions of Sharabi’s testimony regarding his time in captivity. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday.
Sharabi, 52, who was released by Hamas on Feb. 8 after 491 days in captivity in Gaza, has become a leading voice among the freed hostages. His emotional account of his time in captivity has gained international attention.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 News, Sharabi described in detail the harsh conditions of his captivity, the isolation, the lack of food and medicine and the violence he endured.
He spoke about the difficult days underground, shackled in iron chains. “Do you know what it is to open a refrigerator? To take a piece of fruit or vegetable or a slice of bread? It’s an entire world,” he said.
Eli lost his wife and daughters in Be’eri during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack. His brother Yossi was taken captive during the massacre and murdered in captivity.
“If there’s one thing I’ve been saying to everyone from the very beginning—to my family, the medical team, my friends—it’s that no one has to walk on eggshells around me,” he said during the interview. “We talk about everything. About the loss, about the captivity—about anything people want.”
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
