Keir Starmer pays tribute to former hostage Eli Sharabi at meeting in Downing Street

Starmer expressed condolences and sympathy for the deaths of Sharabi’s wife, Lianne, their teenage daughters, Yahel and Noiya, as well as his brother, Yossi, who was taken alongside him but killed in captivity.

Starmer said securing the release of the remaining hostages was his 'number one priority' (Image: Simon Dawson/No10)[Missing Credit]

He said: “Inhuman is a word that is used too often, but your experience warranted that word.”

Sharabi gave Starmer a personal letter and a framed copy of a cartoon by The Time’s Peter Brooks depicting an emaciated Sharabi, Or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami being released, juxtaposed next to an image of three Holocaust survivors with the caption “Never Again – Again”.

Just a few days ago, Sharabi gave the same print to US Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

The PM offered his condolences to Sharabi following the murder of his British-Israeli wife, their teenage daughters and his brother by Hamas (Image: Simon Dawson/No 10)[Missing Credit]

Joined in Number 10 by surviving members of his family, Sharabi thanked Starmer for taking responsibility for him as a hostage with close British connections.

Sharabi also asked the Prime Minister to confirm that he would do everything possible to bring about the release of remaining 59 hostages, including the body of his brother.

Released hostage Eli Sharabi meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on March 5, 2025 (Picture: White House/X)[Missing Credit]

Also attending the meeting were Sharabi’s brother-in-law Stephen Brisley, family friend Annabel Sheldon, and the family’s lawyers, Adam Rose and Adam Wagner, the latter of whom recently spoke to the JC about their work.

Sharabi’s family have twiced previously visited Downing Street to meet with the Prime Minister, each time promising they would return with him.

Starmer said his government would “do everything we can” and “redouble our efforts” to secure the release of the hostages, which, he said, is “the number one priority”.