Former Hamas Hostage Says He Warned Australian Leaders About Rising Antisemitism Before Deadly Bondi Beach Attack

Eli Sharabi, a former Hamas hostage who endured 491 days in captivity, told Fox News Digital that he warned Australian leaders in June to take rising antisemitism seriously — a warning he says preceded the deadly Hanukkah shooting at Bondi Beach.

Sharabi said the attack was "crazy" but not wholly unexpected. While visiting Australia, he met with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong and told them he feared that escalating antisemitism could culminate in violence.

Warnings to Australian Officials

Sharabi recounted telling the officials that a hate crime could occur in Australia and that he could already see Jewish people walking the streets in fear. "When it happens, a hate crime here, it will be your responsibility, because you have to have a stronger voice against antisemitism," he told Marles and Wong, adding later that he did not know why he felt compelled to say it at the time.

Israeli hostages Or Levy, Eli Sharabi and Ohad Ben Ami were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross by Hamas under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Israel, in Deir al Balah, Gaza, on Feb. 8, 2025.

"Unfortunately, it happened. And that's crazy, it's crazy. Really, I'm so sorry for that," Sharabi said.

Government Response

A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she "deeply appreciated her meeting with Eli Sharabi and thanks him for sharing his insights and experiences." The office reiterated that Wong has consistently condemned antisemitism and said the government is responding to the Bondi Beach attack by strengthening laws against those who spread antisemitism and online abuse, improving how the education system addresses antisemitism, and lowering the threshold to cancel visas for people who come to Australia to spread hate. The spokesperson also expressed sympathies to the families of the victims.

Sharabi's Personal Story and Advocacy

Sharabi was released from Hamas captivity on Feb. 8, 2025, after 491 days as a hostage taken from Kibbutz Be'eri during the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre. He later learned that his wife, Lianne, and their daughters, Noiya and Yahel, were killed in the attack. Since his release, Sharabi has traveled internationally, speaking to Jewish communities, world leaders and other audiences about his experience. He documents his captivity in his memoir, "Hostage," which has been translated into several languages.

In the days after his release, while recovering in hospital, Sharabi learned about the global advocacy efforts that had pushed for the release of him and other hostages. He joined campaigns calling for the release of remaining captives, including Alon Ohel, a fellow hostage with whom Sharabi formed a close bond. "It was an amazing feeling to see him released. He's like my son," Sharabi said of Ohel.

Eli Sharabi, who spent 491 days in Hamas captivity, and whose wife and two daughters were killed by terrorists, speaks at the United Nations.

Life After Captivity

Now nearly a year free, Sharabi says he values every moment. "First of all, I'm alive. Second, I'm free, and I've learned that freedom is priceless," he told Fox News Digital. He described his daily gratitude and the lasting pain of losing his family: "The memory of my wife, my daughters and my brother will be with me until my last day."

Although he once planned to move his family to London for safety, those plans have changed. Sharabi said he cannot return to Kibbutz Be'eri because the trauma is present in every corner and that he intends to seek a fresh start farther north in central Israel once the last outstanding matters, such as the return of Ran Gvili's body, are resolved.

Fox News Digital reached out to Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles' office for comment.