UK minister’s ‘agony’ that being British did not protect Sharabi family

The UK’s Minister for the Middle East has spoken of the “agony” of hearing the story of Eli Sharabi, who addressed a crowd of 1,400 at St John’s Wood Synagogue on Monday evening.

Hamish Falconer, a Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, told the JC after the UJIA-organised event that “it was heartbreaking as a British minister” to hear what Sharabi had endured.

Sharabi’s British-born wife, Lianne, and their British-Israeli daughters, Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13, were murdered in Kibbutz Be’eri during the Hamas-led October 7 attacks. His brother, Yossi Sharabi, was also taken hostage and killed in captivity in January 2024. 

Eli Sharabi was taken hostage and held in Gaza for 16 months, before he was released during a ceasefire deal in February.

Hamish Falconer was among 1,400 people gathered in St John's Wood Synagogue to hear testimony from released hostge Eli Sharabi[Missing Credit]

Speaking after Sharabi’s emotional testimony at his first international community event, Falconer said: “This is a tragedy for absolutely everybody affected, but the thought that they thought being British would protect them – and that we were unable to protect them – is an agony to hear.”

1,400 people packed into St John's Wood Syngogue where released hostage Eli Sharabi shared his testimony on Monday 28 April 2025 (Photo: Blake Ezra Photography/UJIA)(C) Blake Ezra Photography 2025 Not to be reproduced without written permission.

He continued: “The story is awful to listen to, but we have to face the horrors of what happened.”

Reflecting on the ordeal, Falconer said one of the most painful details was that both Eli and Yossi Sharabi were held in Gaza – but never knew of each other’s presence. “I have two brothers too, and the idea that he was also held hostage in Gaza but didn’t know…” he said, trailing off.

He praised Sharabi’s “incredible bravery.”

Hamish Falconer greated former hostage Eli Sharabi during a UJIA event in north London[Missing Credit]

Falconer also said: “I am the consular minister as well as the Middle East minister, and before I was a politician, I was a diplomat and a hostage negotiator. I dealt with hostages in Taliban custody. The experiences of this family, and the public way in which it all played out, are very difficult.”

Looking ahead, Falconer expressed cautious hope about ongoing negotiations in Qatar. “You have to be” optimistic about another deal, he said, although he acknowledged such progress was “difficult” to achieve.

Earlier this week, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Following the meeting, Lammy said the two had discussed “our commitment to working together on regional stability and security to bring the war in Gaza to an end.”