A British-Israeli hostage free of Hamas captivity in Gaza on Sunday has mentioned she has “returned to life” and is the “happiest person in the world” after being reunited together with her household.
In her first feedback since being freed, Emily Damari, 28, thanked her household and mates who campaigned for her launch. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m the happiest in the world,” she mentioned in Hebrew on Instagram.
Damari was freed after 471 days in captivity alongside two different Israeli hostages, Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, as a part of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
The Tottenham Hotspur fan who was born in Israel to a British mom and Israeli father returned from Gaza with a bandage on one hand. She misplaced two fingers when she was shot and kidnapped from her dwelling within the Kfar Aza kibbutz throughout Hamas’s 7 October 2023 assault.
Her mom, Mandy Damari, who was born in Surrey and grew up in Beckenham, south-east London, praised her daughter’s resilience. She was pictured embracing her at Tel Aviv’s Sheba Medical Middle, the place Gonen and Steinbrecher had been additionally reunited with their households.
“Yesterday, I was finally able to give Emily the hug that I have been dreaming of,” Mandy Damari, 63, mentioned on Monday. “From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank the many people who have played a role in bringing Emily home and given their support to me and my family.
“I am relieved to report that, after her release, Emily is doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated. I am also happy that during her release the world was given a glimpse of her feisty and charismatic personality. In Emily’s own words, she is the happiest girl in the world, she has her life back.
“In this incredibly happy moment for our family, we must also remember that 94 other hostages still remain. The ceasefire must continue and every last hostage must be returned to their families. As wonderful as it is to see Emily’s resilience, these are still early days. As you will have seen yesterday, Emily lost two of the fingers on her left hand. She now needs time with her loved ones and her doctors as she begins her road to recovery.”
A lawyer representing the Damari household and different British-linked hostages in Gaza mentioned Emily “seems to be in pretty good nick, pretty good spirits”. Adam Rose mentioned he had not but spoken to Damari however added: “You’ve seen images where she’s clearly lost a couple of her fingers – she was shot when she was taken hostage, she was shot in her leg and her hand – and she seems to be doing quite well. She seemed – just looking at the images – very smiley and seemed to be moving, and that’s fantastic.
“I understand she’s staying in hospital for a bit longer to be fully checked out and she’ll no doubt need mental health as well as physical health support over the coming period.”
Rose mentioned he had exchanged a few WhatsApp messages with Damari’s mom, whom he described as “elated”.
Steinbrecher’s household thanked supporters for giving them energy “during our darkest moments”. In an announcement on Sunday, they mentioned: “Our heroic Dodo, who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, begins her rehabilitation journey today.”
All three girls had been assessed on the Sheba Medical Centre, with docs reporting that they had been in a secure situation and could be monitored for a couple of days.
A complete of 33 hostages are attributable to be launched over the following six weeks, in trade for about 1,700 Palestinians held in Israel prisons.
