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Time Names Eli Sharabi’s ‘Hostage’ to 2025 100 Must-Read Books List

The recognition underscores a rare first-person account of 491 days in Hamas captivity that is shaping how the October 7 kidnappings are publicly understood.

Overview

  • Eli Sharabi’s memoir was selected by Time as one of the year’s 100 must-read books, with the magazine calling it a raw, intimate perspective on the conflict.
  • Time’s review by Hamilton Cain highlights granular scenes of survival and solidarity among hostages, describing the book as the first memoir of post–October 7 captivity in Gaza.
  • Sharabi, a member of Kibbutz Be’eri, recounts being abducted on October 7, 2023 and held for 491 days in tunnels beneath Gaza before his release.
  • He learned after returning home that his wife Lianne and daughters Noiya and Yahel were killed during the attack, and that his brother Yossi died in captivity.
  • The book has risen to fourth on The New York Times bestseller list, appeared on Time’s cover, and was sent by Sharabi to President Donald Trump with a note thanking him for securing his release.