Alon Ohel and Eli Sharabi Embrace in Emotional Reunion After Gaza Captivity

In a moment that captured the heart of a nation, former hostages Alon Ohel and Eli Sharabi reunited in Israel after months of captivity in Hamas terror tunnels. Their emotional embrace, after enduring one of the darkest chapters in Israeli history, stands as a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the unbreakable bonds forged in suffering.

Ohel and Sharabi spent months imprisoned together deep beneath Gaza, cut off from the world but bound together by a shared will to survive. Speaking ahead of a highly anticipated Channel 12 interview, Ohel described their connection as immediate and profound.

“From the very first moment, we connected. He was like a father to me,” Ohel shared. “He supported me, he lifted me up on his back. Eli would tell me about his family, the kind of home they had, what his daughters were like. He was an incredible father.”

But the reunion was bittersweet. Sharabi returned to learn the unimaginable his wife, Lianne, and their daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were murdered on October 7. He had spoken of them often during captivity, unaware of the tragedy awaiting him back home.

Despite the horror they endured, their reunion has come to symbolize hope. Ohel, who suffered brutal physical and emotional abuse, including shrapnel wounds to his eye and face, is now beginning the long journey of healing. Still, his message to the Israeli public is one of gratitude and perseverance.

“I didn’t break for a moment in captivity,” he said in a message shared through his family. “Because I knew there were good people out there fighting for my return. I felt you with me in every breath, in every tear, in every hope.”

Their reunion on Israeli soil is more than a personal moment it's a national reminder of what was lost, what was saved, and what still must be fought for. It's a story of brotherhood, resilience, and the enduring light that even captivity cannot extinguish.

Help share their story. Subscribe to our newsletter for more powerful updates that honor Israel’s heroes and their journeys home.