Hostage

‘One of the most compelling and unflinching books you will ever read’ - Daily Telegraph

‘A book of startling eloquence, unimaginable anguish and exceptionally restrained rage’ - Wall Street Journal

‘Hostage is a highly readable account of a near impossible to imagine nightmare. For all the pain it recounts, it’s ultimately about finding the light in the darkest of circumstances’ - Jewish Chronicle

‘Five days after it was released, Sharabi’s memoir became the best-selling book in Israeli history. That’s no surprise: his account of being held hostage by Hamas for 491 days is by turns moving, compelling and deeply harrowing’ - Telegraph Books of the Year

‘A testament to the human spirit. In the depths of captivity for over 400 days [after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel] and emerging to discover that his wife and daughters had been murdered and yet having the strength and determination to live life and dwell on the positives. Inspirational’ - Jonathan Goldstein, Bloomberg Books of the Year

Eli Sharabi is a former hostage who survived 491 days in Hamas captivity following his abduction from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, 2023. Sharabi has since become a global advocate for the remaining hostages, meeting with world leaders, speaking at the United Nations, and sharing his story with audiences around the world. His memoir, Hostage, the first published account by a released Israeli hostage, became an instant number one bestseller in Hebrew, and the fastest selling book in Israeli history.

Born in Tel Aviv to Yemenite and Moroccan parents, Sharabi moved to Be’eri as a teenager and later married Lianne, a British woman with whom he shared two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, aged sixteen and thirteen. A longtime resident of Be’eri, Sharabi served as the Kibbutz’s business manager, as well as the Chief Financial Officer of the Kibbutz, Be’eri Printing, and other private companies in Israel. Sharabi continues to work tirelessly as a leader in the campaign for the release of captives.