Emily Damari, a British-Israeli national who was shot in the hand and taken from her home in southern Israel on October 7th, 2023 has been released from captivity in Gaza. She was one of the first three hostages to be released as part of the long-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Emily is reported to have seen some of the reaction to her release, which she said “affected my heart”, and has also shared an Instagram post in which she expressed her gratitude to God, her family, and friends.
Emily’s family had campaigned tirelessly for her release since being informed that she was still alive but had no information on her condition since March 2024. According to her mother Mandy, Emily is a lot stronger than they anticipated at her release. Despite being happy about her resilience, she and her family are taking things easy as she embarks on the road to full recovery.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the release of the three hostages as “wonderful and long overdue”. Foreign Secretary David Lammy also expressed his delight and emotions at hearing Emily’s words following her release. Lammy added that it is important to recognize that there are still other hostages being held, and British nationals such as Nadav Popplewell have tragically lost their lives.
Adam Rose, a lawyer who represents hostage families such as Emily’s, said that though the release is a moment of joy for them, it also means further pain and torture for those whose loved ones haven’t been released. Emily’s release, along with those of Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, is the first of several planned over the next six weeks, provided the ceasefire holds. A total of 33 Israeli hostages are expected to be returned and approximately 1,900 Palestinians freed in exchange
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