Two brothers, Yossi and Eli Sharabi, faced a tragic ordeal in Kibbutz Be’eri. Eli's wife, Leanne, and their two daughters, Noya and Yahel, were brutally murdered, while Eli is currently listed as missing. Yossi was taken to Gaza, but his wife managed to save their daughters and seven other civilians. They hid for eight hours without making a sound.
Yossi and Eli’s brother Sharon Sharabi, a 48-year-old from Alfi Menashe, is now grieving the loss of Leanne, Noya and Yahel, and searching for Eli and Yossi.
Yossi, 53, was married to Nira, and they had three daughters: Yuval, Ofir, and Oren. Eli, 51, married Leanne, a British citizen who volunteered at the kibbutz. They had two daughters, Noya and Yahel.
On October 7, Hamas terrorists infiltrated the Kerem neighborhood in Kibbutz Be’eri, which is located near Gaza.
"They breached the fence and mercilessly slaughtered nearly everyone," Sharabi said. "They entered Eli and Leanne's home, and murdered Leanne, Noya, and Yahel. Eli is still missing.”
“It's difficult to describe what happened because it's incredibly painful, but they were killed in a brutal way,” he said. “Leanne could only be identified through dental records, and Noya through DNA analysis. Just last night, before meeting President Isaac Herzog, I received news about Noya. It devastated us."
"The family is in a terrible state," he added. "Three were murdered, and my brother Eli is still missing. It wouldn't surprise me if his body was among the unrecognizable ones in the camp. They experienced a horrific massacre, with their bodies being treated in a brutal manner."
The courage of a father
Sharon said that his brother Yossi offered himself as a hostage as long as the terrorists would spare the rest.
“The terrorists entered his home and he came out with his hands raised,” he said. “He told them to take him and spare the rest, especially the children. They didn't shoot him but took him.”
“Before they put him in the car, they left his wife, Nira, and their three daughters on the grass,” he said. “Oren, his young daughter, raised her hand halfway and bid him a hopeful goodbye. Thanks to Nira's resourcefulness, they hid and remained quiet for eight hours. Soldiers eventually rescued them and brought them to safety."