Former Captive Eli Sharabi Opens Up About Finding New Love on TV
After 491 days in Hamas captivity and tragic losses, 53-year-old Eli Sharabi opens up in a new television interview about finding a great love and seeking a true partner.
After spending 491 days in Hamas captivity, losing his wife and daughters, and enduring a grueling rehabilitation journey, Eli Sharabi is opening up about his life once again. In a preview for an upcoming interview with Omri Assenheim on Reshet 13, the 53-year-old former captive discusses finding love anew and reflects on what mattered most to him in a partner.
When asked how a 53-year-old man released from such prolonged captivity—having entered captivity as a married father of two—begins to look for love, Sharabi replied, "You don't look. It just happens." He added, "I found a great love. I am very, very happy about it. It has already been happening for half a year."
Balancing Privacy and the Spotlight
This personal revelation comes nearly a year after Sharabi asked the media to stay out of his private life. In November 2025, following reports of his split from his previous partner, Yaara Crispil, he told Reshet 13: "I never asked to be in the spotlight, and I kindly ask not to delve into my private life." The couple had initially stepped into the public eye after attending the opening event of Tel Aviv Fashion Week together.
Sharabi was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7, 2023, and held by Hamas for 491 days. His wife, Lian, and daughters, Noya and Yahel, were murdered in the attack, though he only learned of the tragic news following his release in February 2025. His brother, Yossi, was also abducted and killed in captivity. Despite the staggering loss, Sharabi stated as early as June 2025 that he refuses to give up on love: "There will definitely be love. I am a relationship-oriented person, I love life."
The Real Eli Sharabi
Perhaps the most compelling part of the interview preview is how Sharabi describes the qualities he sought in a partner. Asked what he valued most in a new companion, he answered, "A true partner, someone who won't be intimidated by this persona, someone who will truly get to know the real Eli Sharabi."
These sentiments take on deeper meaning given the immense public profile he has acquired since his release. In a joint interview with fellow former captive Alon Ohel last October, Sharabi confessed, "We never imagined we would become such well-known figures." Nevertheless, he insisted that beneath the fame and his harrowing story, he remains the same person: "I haven't changed at all. The situation has changed, but Eli remains Eli."
