During a special session of the UN Security Council, Eli Sharabi, a former hostage who endured the horrors of Hamas’ October 7 attack, delivered a gripping testimony about his 491 days in Hamas captivity—bound, starved, beaten, and humiliated. Sharabi, who tragically lost his wife and two daughters in the massacre, exposed the brutal abuse he suffered and called on world leaders to take immediate action to free the remaining hostages.
“My name is Eli Sharabi. I am 53 years old. I survived hell. I came back to tell my story. For 491 days, I was held underground in Hamas’ terror tunnels—chained, starved, beaten, and humiliated. The shackles tore into my skin from the moment I was kidnapped until the moment I was freed. I was treated worse than an animal. I had to beg for food and mercy. Begging became my existence,” he testified.
Sharabi’s Testimony: “Hamas Stole Humanitarian Aid to Feed Its Terrorists While We Starved”
Eli Sharabi, who endured 491 days of brutal captivity in Hamas tunnels, also delivered a chilling testimony exposing Hamas’ exploitation of humanitarian aid intended for Gaza’s civilians.
For the first time, Sharabi presented direct evidence showing that Hamas used UNRWA and UN-labeled food crates to feed its terrorists, while Israeli hostages were left to starve.
“They Ate Like Kings – We Starved”
“I know you discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza here every week, but let me tell you, as an eyewitness—I saw what happened to that aid. Hamas steals it,” Sharabi stated before the Security Council.
“Hamas militants brought hundreds of food crates with UN markings into the tunnels. When you talk about humanitarian aid, remember this—Hamas eats like kings while the hostages starve,” he emphasized.
Sharabi went on to describe the harrowing reality he witnessed during his time in captivity. “Your governments are funding UNRWA, which in turn feeds the very terrorists who tortured me and murdered my family. They sat in front of us and ate full meals from the aid supplies, and we were never allowed to touch it,” he recounted with anger.
“Where Was the Red Cross? Where Was the UN?”
Eli Sharabi just concluded his harrowing testimony before the UN Security Council. Words cannot fully capture the shock and horror that gripped Council members as they listened to his account of Hamas’s brutality and barbarism.
Eli revealed how Hamas stole humanitarian aid,… pic.twitter.com/l7PC8Dgp0j
— Danny Danon דני דנון (@dannydanon) March 20, 2025
Sharabi harshly criticized international organizations for their failure to act on behalf of the hostages: “Where was the Red Cross when we needed them? Where was the UN? 491 days of torment and no one came. No one in Gaza helped me. The civilians saw us suffering, and they cheered for the terrorists. There is no such thing as ‘uninvolved’ peoples.”
He concluded his speech with a firm call for the release of all remaining hostages: “I am here today because I survived. But survival is not enough. Not when 59 hostages are still trapped in Hamas tunnels in Gaza. I was freed less than six weeks ago, and I came here to the UN with one simple message: Bring them all home.”
Ambassador Danon: “We Will Not Stay Silent”
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, who accompanied Sharabi to the hearing, emphasized the importance of his testimony before the international community. “For too long, the UN and the Security Council have looked away. We will not stay silent, and we will continue to expose the truth. Eli Sharabi stands here today because he survived. He is here to look into the eyes of those who remained silent and remind them of the hostages still held by Hamas,” Danon said.
Danon continued: “The world will hear his story. And the world will have to choose—stand with the hostages and fight for justice and morality, or stand with the terrorists and their murderous regime.”
US Message: “Hamas Must Release All Hostages or Pay a Heavy Price”
Among the international responses to Sharabi’s testimony, the statement by US Deputy Representative to the UN, Dorothy Shea, stood out. She reaffirmed America’s support for Israel and emphasized the significance of hearing the testimonies of former hostages. “Mr. Sharabi’s painful testimony is essential. It provides the Security Council with an important perspective and reminds us all how Hamas started this war on October 7, 2023, with its horrific terror attack, in which it kidnapped over 250 people,” she said.
Shea stressed the need for the Security Council to hear the voices of the freed hostages to fully grasp Hamas’ brutality. “They are witnesses and survivors whose testimonies serve as proof of the atrocities they endured,” she said, delivering a clear message from the US administration: “President Trump has been clear: Hamas must release all 59 hostages immediately—including American citizens Edan Alexander, Itay Chen, Judith Weinstein, Gad Haggai, and Omer Neutra—or they will pay a heavy price. The United States continues to stand with Israel as it defends itself and works to secure the release of all hostages from Hamas captivity.
