Hostage survivor calls on biased UN body: "Recognize the torture the captives endured in Gaza"

Former hostage Eli Sharabi appealed to the UN Human Rights Council, demanding recognition of the abduction and detention of hostages in Gaza as torture and an investigation into those responsible. Sharabi, released after 491 days, described captivity conditions: chained, starved, beaten, and humiliated. His testimony joins a Jerusalem Justice Center report documenting starvation, isolation, abuse, and psychological warfare as torture and crimes against humanity.

Former hostage Eli Sharabi, released from Hamas captivity after 491 days, appealed to the UN Human Rights Council to recognize the abduction and detention of hostages in Gaza as torture and to investigate those responsible. Sharabi described his captivity: "For 491 days I was held underground, chained, starved, beaten, and humiliated." He learned of the murder of his wife Lian and daughters Noya and Yael only after his release. Sharabi presented the Jerusalem Justice Center report, based on testimonies from 78 former hostages, documenting deliberate starvation, extreme isolation, harsh detention conditions, and widespread use of psychological terror. 68% of hostages were forced to participate in propaganda videos. Sharabi returned from captivity weighing 44 kilograms. Concurrently, a discussion took place at the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention in Abu Dhabi on documenting sexual violence during war and terror, initiated by WIZO International. The discussion presented Israeli projects for documentation and evidence preservation, alongside the Ukrainian experience. The article quotes legal sources calling for the exercise of universal jurisdiction against those responsible.