Freed Israeli Hostage Tells UN: 'No More Excuses,' Aid Is Feeding Terrorists

UNITED NATIONS — Former Hamas hostage Eli Sharabi delivered a harrowing testimony before the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and issued a powerful plea: "Bring them all home now."

Sharabi, who has been free for less than six weeks, has wasted no time advocating for those still in captivity. His story is a gut-wrenching reminder of the human toll of the ongoing conflict.

"On Oct. 7, my heaven turned to hell," Sharabi recounted. Taken from Kibbutz Be’eri during a violent Hamas attack, he was separated from his family forever. His wife and two daughters were murdered, a painful truth he only learned after his release. Tragically, his brother Yossi, also taken hostage, was killed in captivity, and his body remains in Gaza.

Kibbutz Be’eri, where Sharabi lived, bore the brunt of the Oct. 7 massacre. Over 100 residents were killed, and 30 were taken hostage, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The scale of the brutality is staggering.

When Sharabi and two other hostages were released on Feb. 8, their emaciated condition shocked the world. Israeli President Isaac Herzog described their appearance as "what a crime against humanity looks like," while former President Donald Trump likened them to Holocaust survivors.

Sharabi revealed the grim conditions of his 491-day captivity, during which he endured starvation, brutal beatings—including one that broke his ribs—and relentless psychological torment. He weighed a mere 44 kilograms (97 pounds) upon his return to Israel. "I was given just one pita a day," he said, describing how he had to beg for additional food while Hamas members ate lavishly in front of the captives—a particularly cruel form of torture.

In a damning revelation, Sharabi accused Hamas of stealing U.N. humanitarian aid intended for Gaza's civilians. "I saw Hamas terrorists carrying boxes with U.N. and UNRWA emblems into tunnels," he said, adding, "Dozens and dozens of boxes paid by your governments, feeding terrorists who tortured me and murdered my family."

Sharabi's testimony was a sharp critique of international inaction. "Where was the United Nations? Where was the Red Cross? Where was the world?" he asked, his voice a mix of anguish and fury. Israeli U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon echoed these sentiments, accusing the U.N. of ignoring the plight of hostages and failing to confront the humanitarian crimes committed by Hamas.

Danon underscored that the war would not end until all hostages were returned. "The entire U.N. system has abandoned its responsibility," he charged.

Sharabi concluded his address with a stirring demand: "Bring them all home. No more excuses. No more delays. If you stand for humanity—prove it. Bring them home."