"He Broke Down in Shock," The Devastating Moment Hostage Learns His Wife and Daughters Were Murdered by Hamas

Eli’s family had been in the Be’eri kibbutz, a community targeted by Hamas terrorists during their brutal assault on October 7. Eli, along with his brother, was captured while his wife, Lianne, and their daughters were confined to a safe room. In an act of unfathomable cruelty, Hamas set the room on fire, taking the lives of Eli’s loved ones in a horrific act of terror.

It wasn’t until Eli’s release that he learned the devastating truth. His emotional reaction was immediate and heart-wrenching. When he was told that his wife and daughters had been burned alive, Eli broke down. Screaming in anguish, he cried, "My heart is not whole." A family member shared that Eli received the news in complete shock and distress, unable to fully process the enormity of his loss. The weight of not knowing his family’s fate for so long was compounded by the pain of realizing they were gone.

The 52-year-old had been held in Gaza for 491 days, and his release, as part of a ceasefire/hostage agreement with Hamas, came with the agonizing realization that the family he had fought so hard to survive for was no longer there. As one family member, Stephen Brisley, put it, Eli's family was everything to him. Now, he must face the unimaginable pain of rebuilding his life without the loved ones who defined his world.

Brisley also described the shocking transformation Eli had undergone during his captivity. “You can see the clothes hanging off of him. His face is gone. The spark and light have gone from his eyes,” he said, underscoring how much Eli had suffered both physically and mentally during his time in captivity.

This devastating loss, coming just as Eli thought he might finally reunite with his family, is a pain no one should have to endure. Eli’s story is a poignant reminder of the horrors of war and the profound toll it takes on its victims.