A memoir by Eli Sharabi, an Israeli who survived 491 days in Hamas captivity, will be published in the United States on Oct. 7, 2025, two years after the deadly assault by Hamas terrorists on southern Israel.
The book, titled "Kidnapped," was originally published in Hebrew by Israeli publishing house Sela Meir. The English-language edition will be released by Harper Influence, an imprint of HarperCollins, one of the largest publishing companies in the world.
Sharabi was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in which more than 1,200 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage. He was freed after nearly 500 days in captivity.
Efforts to bring the book to an international audience began in April, led in part by Neil Blair, literary agent for Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. Blair and Sela Meir collaborated to secure a U.S. publisher.
The English edition was translated by Eylon Levy, a former spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, who worked on the translation while the book was still being written in Hebrew.
“From the outset, I knew I wanted to share my story, and the stories of all the hostages, with the world,” Sharabi said in a statement. “I hope that by the time the English edition is released, all the hostages will be home. I want this book to stand as a historic testimony to a reality that should never have existed and must not happen again.”
President Isaac Herzog met with Sharabi this week at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. During the meeting, Sharabi presented Herzog with a copy of the memoir and issued a public appeal to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, who are currently together in Washington.
“This is the moment. We are waiting—the families of those taken on Oct. 7 need this moment, to bring their loved ones home, whether alive or for burial,” Sharabi said. “I ask you to make the final effort and close this chapter.”
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Herzog echoed Sharabi’s message. “I want to amplify Eli’s powerful words,” Herzog said. “He has endured the worst kind of hell—both the physical suffering and the devastating loss of Oct. 7. His book is heartbreaking, moving, and profoundly powerful.”
Blair said he hoped "Kidnapped" would be translated into additional languages by the time of the U.S. release.
“We want the world to witness the courage, pain, and hope of this moment in history,” he said.