“dDon't worry, I'll be back. No matter what they do to me, I will come back. When the 52-year-old was released after being imprisoned in Gaza for 16 months, he desperately knew whether his family was waiting for him.

It wasn't until then that he was told that his British wife, Lianne Sharabi, 48, and daughters Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, were murdered at the home of Be'eri Kibbutz in Israel on October 7, 2023.

Lianne’s brother Stephen Brisley visited Sarabee at Israel’s hospital just days after part of the ceasefire and part of the hostage-free deal was released.

"We just stretched out our arms to each other and hugged each other. I was afraid to hold him too tight because he was thin and thin. If I hugged him too hard, I was almost afraid to break him. But I hugged him and kissed him , tell him I love him,” Brisley told The Guardian.

“The first thing he said to me was: ‘I’m sorry.’ It was a sign of a man, he was a family man, his first thought to make sure I was OK and to express his condolences to me.

"Physically, it was really frustrating to see it. Apparently, he was well cared for in the hospital, trying to get back on weight and seeing the long-term damage (if any). But mentally, he So strong. He told me that he never doubted that he would come out, not for a second. He promised Lianne and the girls that he would come back, he would come back. He kept the promise, but unfortunately They weren't there to say hello."

Sharabi was released along with two other Israeli hostages, or Levy and Ohad Ben Ami, 34 and 56, were released on February 8 after being imprisoned for nearly 500 days. These three looked weak and gaunt when they were paraded in front of a group of people in Gaza before they were released.

Speaking on stage before handing it to the Red Cross, Sarabee said he was “happy to be back today…my wife and daughter.”

Brisley from Bridden, South Wales said: “That was the last bit of Hamas’ visit to his psychological torture, putting him on the stage in the handover dripping in propaganda, and making him thank his kidnappers, Said: “I look forward to meeting my family and being reunited with my wife and children. ”

"That was him in a transit vehicle, the IDF entered Israeli soil from Gaza, and he asked, 'Are Liane and the girl waiting for me?' This is a soldier from the IDF and he had to break the news of their killing to him. .”

Brisley said Sarabee only talked about his “debris and pieces” when he was imprisoned, but said hunger was one of the most difficult parts.

"We know he was detained with other hostages at different times...some of them were young people, Eli was Eli, who became their father and tried to take care of them. I think it gave him Some purposes,” Brisley said.

"(He) is fed once a day, a small amount of pasta or rice, and that's almost that. Almost the hardest thing, he says, is hunger, lack of food, and every day in your mind."

Sarahbi longs to talk about his memories of his Bristol-born wife and daughter, telling Brisley that they were together for Christmas and their last holiday to Thailand.

"After seeing him handed over the camera and pale, the darkness in my eyes was scared because the lights had disappeared and Ely wasn't there," Brisley said. "But the most reassuring thing to be with him Yes, seeing Eli still exists. He is very strong in spirit."