Eli Sharabi, freed after 491 days in Hamas captivity, arrived in Hungary on 19 November to meet readers and introduce the Hungarian edition of his memoir, Hostage.
The book chronicles his extraordinary journey of endurance, faith, and survival. At a well-attended event hosted by a Libri bookstore in Budapest, Sharabi greeted readers and personally signed copies, drawing considerable public interest.
491 Days of Hell
Sharabi was abducted during the 7 October 2023 terrorist attack and held in Gaza for 491 days before his release. During the assault, he lost his wife, two daughters, and brother. His book Hostage—a bestseller in Israel—recounts the ordeal, the profound personal losses he endured, and the inner strength that enabled him to survive.
Accompanied by his brother, Sharabi travelled to Budapest to speak directly with Hungarian readers. His visit offered a rare opportunity for the local audience to hear the testimony of someone who lived through captivity and to reflect on the message he brings from what he describes as ‘491 days of hell’.
Ahead of his arrival, Sharabi shared a greeting for his Hungarian audience:
‘Dear friends in Hungary! I am Eli Sharabi. I survived 491 days of captivity. After my release, I wrote a book about my kidnapping, which became an international bestseller. I am delighted that the book has been published in Hungarian. I look forward to meeting you in Budapest.’
Hostage
In his new book, Eli Sharabi recounts the harrowing events of 7 October 2023: the moment he was abducted from Kibbutz Be’eri, the loss of his wife and daughters, and the unbreakable resolve that kept him alive throughout 491 days of captivity.
‘I refuse to let myself drown in pain. I am surviving. I am a hostage. In the heart of Gaza. A stranger in a strange land. In the home of a Hamas-supporting family. And I’m getting out of here. I have to. I’m getting out of here. I’m coming home’— he writes in his deeply moving memoir.
When Hamas terrorists stormed Kibbutz Be’eri on 7 October 2023, the peaceful life Sharabi had built with his British-born wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters, Noja and Yael, was destroyed in an instant. Dragged barefoot from his home, he was forced into the suffocating darkness of Gaza’s tunnels. As the war raged above, he endured 491 days of captivity, holding on to the hope that he might one day return to his family.
‘As the first memoir written by a freed Israeli hostage…Hostage offers an unfiltered account of survival under unimaginable conditions’
Sharabi’s story is one of profound physical and psychological suffering—hunger, loneliness, helplessness—but also of resilience, endurance, and the quiet, repeated choice to stay alive. His memoir bears witness to the bonds formed between hostages, the moments of grace that sustained them, and the inner strength that carried him through.
As the first memoir written by a freed Israeli hostage—and one of the fastest-selling books in Israel—Hostage offers an unfiltered account of survival under unimaginable conditions: starvation, isolation, physical torment, and psychological manipulation. It stands not only as personal testimony but also as a historical document, created to ensure that the events of that day, and everything that followed, are neither forgotten nor denied.
Since his release, Eli Sharabi has become an international advocate for the remaining hostages. He has visited US President Donald Trump at the White House, met leaders at 10 Downing Street in London, and addressed the UN Security Council.
Extraordinary Resilience
During his visit to Budapest for the Hungarian publication of Hostage, Eli Sharabi gave an exclusive video interview to Rabbi Jonatán Megyeri, editor-in-chief of Neokohn. In the deeply emotional conversation, Sharabi reflects on the circumstances of his kidnapping, the events of 7 October, the brutality of his imprisonment, whether he perceives differences between Gaza’s terrorists and civilians, and what helped him—and the other hostages—hold on to hope. He also recalls the moment of his release and the devastating discovery that after 491 days in captivity, his wife and his 13- and 16-year-old daughters had been murdered by Palestinian terrorists on the day they were taken.
Sharabi spoke candidly about the overwhelming reception he received from Hungarian readers—something he said he had never anticipated. Seeing long lines forming outside the bookstore, he described the experience as both surprising and profoundly moving. Despite the emotional weight of repeatedly recounting his story, he agreed to revisit the horrors of 7 October 2023, when Hamas terrorists stormed Kibbutz Be’eri and tore his family apart. He described the terrifying moments inside the safe room, the decision he and his wife Lianne made to shield their daughters, and the instant he realized he was about to be taken hostage.
What followed was the beginning of 491 days in captivity—first held in a civilian home in Gaza, and later transferred to the suffocating tunnels beneath the Strip, where he endured violence, starvation, and psychological torment.
Yet Sharabi’s testimony is not only a chronicle of suffering. It is also a testament to extraordinary human resilience. He recounted how he and his fellow hostages clung to faith—reciting prayers, marking the Sabbath with Kiddush over water, and preserving the rituals that reminded them they were still alive, still Jewish, and still connected to the world above ground. Even in the face of brutality, he refused to abandon hope or dignity.
When the moment of his release finally came, it was accompanied by the most devastating news imaginable: his wife and daughters had not survived the attack. Still, Sharabi says the strength he draws from his family’s memory, his friends, and the global Jewish community sustains him today. His mission now, he emphasizes, is to live a meaningful life—and to ensure that the stories of the hostages, including those who never returned, are neither forgotten nor ignored.
Watch the full interview here:
Sharabi’s book is now available at Libri.
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