"Hamas Eats Like Kings, While Hostages Starve": Freed Israeli Captive

Hamas militants feasted like "kings" on stolen humanitarian aid while Israeli hostages were kept in chains and left to starve underground, a former captive told the United Nations Security Council on Thursday. Ex-hostage Eli Sharabi said Hamas looted aid meant for civilians and hostages, using it to sustain their fighters while those in captivity suffered, The Times Of Israel reported.

"Hamas eats like kings, while hostages starve," said Sharabi, who was released in February under the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. "They would eat multiple meals a day from UN aid right in front of us. We never received any of it," he added.

Recounting the conditions of his 491-day captivity, he said he was held 164 feet underground, bound in chains so tight they tore his skin. He was beaten brutally by Hamas militants and given only a piece of pita bread and a sip of tea to survive, he said.

He also claimed to have seen Hamas militants hoarding and consuming aid meant for Palestinian refugees.

"I saw Hamas terrorists carrying boxes with the UN and UNRWA emblems into the tunnels - dozens and dozens of boxes, paid for by your government," Sharabi told world leaders at the UN.

He urged the UN to take action against Hamas' exploitation of aid.

Eli Sharabi was one of three hostages freed under a recent prisoner exchange deal, which saw 183 Palestinian prisoners released under a ceasefire agreement. The other freed hostages, Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy, were handed over to the Red Cross before reuniting with their families.

Upon his release he learned that his brother, Yossi, died in captivity - his body still held in Gaza.

"It was like they brought a massive hammer down on me," he said, recalling how Hamas laughed when they broke the news to him.

The ultimate blow, however, came when Sharabi returned to Israel and discovered that his wife, Leanne, and daughters, Noya (16) and Yahel (13), had been killed during the October 7, 2023, attack.

Sharabi's first words upon release were captured on video: "I am very happy today to return to my wife and daughters." He had no idea they were dead.

The release of more hostages remains uncertain after the ceasefire collapsed earlier this week with Israel launching a wave of deadly airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Monday.

Hamas has demanded an IDF withdrawal in exchange for all surviving hostages - something Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected. Facing mass protests over his handling of the crisis, Netanyahu insists "negotiations will be conducted only under fire."

With 59 hostages - 24 believed to be alive - Eli Sharabi pleaded with the UN to intervene. "I am not a diplomat. I am a survivor," he said. "If you stand for humanity, prove it. Bring them all home."