A moving memorial ceremony was held Tuesday at the cemetery in Kfar HaRif to honor victims of the October 7 massacre, where former hostage Eli Sharabi visited the graves of his wife and daughters, who were murdered in their home, as well as his brother, who was killed in Hamas captivity.

The event took place as part of Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror. Sharabi paid tribute at the graves of his wife, Lian, and daughters, Noya and Yahli, who were killed during the attack in Be’eri, and at the grave of his brother Yossi, who was abducted and later murdered in captivity.

“The day you were taken in unimaginable cruelty is the day our lives took a turn with no way back,” Sharabi said in an emotional eulogy, adding, “your light has not gone out. It has become a light that leads me, that gives strength even when it’s hard to rise.”

Reflecting on his life with his wife, he said, “we shared the tasks of the home, which were much more than food. They were the smells and tastes of a home, they were a hug.” Speaking about his daughters, he added, “I miss the sounds of you in the house, the footsteps, the laughter, the cries of ‘Abba’ that fill the space.” He explained that “the longing does not weaken, it only changes form. It is present in the quiet of the house, at the Friday table, in the laughter that is no longer heard.”

Sharabi, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, was kidnapped during the October 7, 2023 attack carried out by Hamas terrorists. He was freed in February 2025 after 491 days in captivity. During the massacre, his wife and two daughters were murdered, while his brother Yossi, who was also taken hostage, was killed after 100 days in captivity.

In June of that year, Sharabi published a memoir titled “Chatuf” (“Hostage”), recounting his experiences in Hamas captivity. The book quickly became the fastest-selling title in Hebrew publishing history, with more than 20,000 copies sold within five days, earning it “Gold Book” status.

Two months later, the book reached “Platinum Book” status after surpassing 70,000 copies sold, and in September it achieved “Diamond Book” recognition with more than 100,000 copies sold.

An English edition was released on October 7, 2025, and within a week of its publication in the United States, it climbed to fourth place on the The New York Times bestseller list and was included among the 100 books to read in 2025.