Freed hostage Eli Sharabi sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Netanyahu joked in a Channel 14 interview that one of the things that had changed for him since October 7 was that he had lost a little weight.

Sharabi, who was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza for 491 days, responded in an interview with Army Radio, saying: I lost a little more weight than the prime minister did, in 491 days.

Asked how he felt when he heard Netanyahu's answer, Sharabi said the comment was deeply painful.

It is simply terrible. Terrible. It is irresponsible, Sharabi said. This is a person who claims to be the leader of the people of Israel and the State of Israel, sitting in a studio, seeking applause, and trying to joke about what happened on October 7.

Entire communities were massacred, our loved ones were murdered, thousands of soldiers have fallen since then, and all that interests him is joking, Sharabi added. It is simply a disgrace.

Netanyahu's comment sparks criticism, condemnation

Netanyahu made the comment during an interview on The Patriots, a flagship political panel show on the right-wing Channel 14. Asked what had changed for him personally since the October 7 massacre, Netanyahu initially smiled and said that he had lost a little weight. He later gave a more detailed answer about decisions he said he made during the war, including mobilizing reservists and approving major security operations.

The remark sparked criticism from bereaved families, opposition politicians, and former hostages, who said the answer showed a lack of sensitivity toward those who lost family members or suffered in captivity.

Sharabi, a resident of Kibbutz Be'eri, was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. His wife, Lianne, and daughters Noiya and Yahel were murdered in the attack. He was released from Gaza on February 8, 2025, after 491 days in captivity.

Smotrich claims credit for returned hostages

In a separate interview, Sharabi also criticized Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who recently claimed in an interview that the hostages returned because of me.

October 7, and many days after it, became days of disaster and national mourning for thousands of families, Sharabi said. Statements of this kind are simply audacity, irresponsibility. Any superlative like that would fit.

Sharabi said Netanyahu's remark was another embarrassing statement from people who claim to be leaders in the State of Israel for the people of Israel.

Smotrich had said in a podcast interview that he had played a decisive role in the conduct of the war and in the return of the hostages. Because of me, all the hostages are here, he said, arguing that without his pressure, Israel would still be negotiating with Hamas over the release of one hostage after another.

The comments drew anger from hostage survivors and families, who have repeatedly accused government ministers of politicizing the hostage issue and delaying deals that could have brought captives home earlier.

Sharabi's remarks came as Israel marked 1,000 days since the October 7 massacre, amid renewed public debate over government responsibility, the treatment of hostage families, and the absence of a state commission of inquiry into the failures that preceded the attack.