A former Israeli hostage, Eli Sharabi, says he is “very worried” that Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas war could collapse.
Sharabi, whose British-born wife Lianne and two daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were killed during the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks, spent 491 days in captivity before being released in February 2025. He fears that the 20 hostages still alive in Gaza, along with the remains of others, are at grave risk if negotiations fail.
Trump’s 20-point peace proposal, agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls for an immediate ceasefire. It would also see all hostages freed within 72 hours in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. However, Hamas officials have indicated they will reject the deal.
Sharabi has pleaded with Trump to “finish the job” by using his influence to secure the release of the remaining hostages. He also urged Hamas to accept the deal, saying: “War is wrong and awful for both sides.”
The 53-year-old described the horror of his captivity in Gaza’s tunnels. He endured beatings, starvation, and months chained by the wrists and ankles. At his weakest, he survived on half a pita bread a day. “Starvation was the worst thing… you eat the crumbs on the carpet,” he recalled.
When freed, he learned that his wife and daughters had been killed on the day of his abduction. Despite his grief, Sharabi has shown resilience, meeting Trump in Washington and speaking worldwide about the plight of the hostages.
He warns that time is running out: “Everybody knows when the war continues it puts the hostages’ life in risk. That’s not a secret.”
Sharabi has written a book, Hostage, to share his story. He says his family will always be with him: “I don’t have the privilege to stay in bed and cry all day… they will be alongside my life, not instead of my life.”
