Freed British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari ‘so satisfied’ to be in UK

Former British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari has advised BBC News she is “so happy” to be in the United Kingdom and is grateful to these right here who campaigned for her liberate from Gaza.

The 28-year-old used to be launched from Hamas captivity after being held for greater than 15 months after she used to be abducted from her house in southern Israel on 7 October 2023.

Ms Damari, who’s visiting the United Kingdom for the primary time since her liberate in January, mentioned she used to be satisfied to be “home finally”, as she used to be surrounded by means of supporters out of doors Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“Thank you to everyone for praying for me, and shouting my name without knowing me. I don’t really have the words to say how thankful I am for that,” she advised the group.

“I’m home finally, and with you it’s more than a home. It’s like a family,” she mentioned, including with a grin that she hopes Spurs will win these days.

Some 59 hostages stay in Gaza, with about 21 concept to nonetheless be alive.

“They need to bring the hostages back now. It’s not something to talk about, they just need to bring them home,” Ms Damari advised the BBC.

Later she mentioned that every now and then she by no means concept she would make it again to the United Kingdom and that she used to be grateful to everybody in Britain who campaigned for her and her mom Mandy, firstly from South London, who led efforts to get her launched.

Dressed in a Spurs blouse, Ms Damari hugged her mum, who mentioned: “I’m so glad she’s back and so glad she’s here with people who supported her all the time.”

The British-Israeli nationwide used to be shot within the leg and hand when she used to be dragged from her house on Kinbutz Kfar Aza on 7 October. Hamas additionally shot and killed her canine.

She used to be taken from the secure room of her space together with her buddies Ziv and Gali Berman.

The 27-year-old twins are nonetheless being held by means of Hamas and Ms Damari mentioned she is doing all she will to get them and the opposite 59 hostages – no longer they all alive – again to their households in Israel.

Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned whilst they’d believed 24 hostages have been nonetheless alive, there used to be now uncertainty concerning the destiny of 3 of them.

Outside the stadium, Ms Damari held a banner appearing her two buddies and advised the group: “May the 59 hostages be home soon. Gali and Ziv Berman are very, very close friends of mine, and I hope they bring him home. Today.”

Her mom Mandy mentioned: “We need all the 59 hostages back. Gali and Ziv are Emily’s friends and it’s so important to all the families that the hostages in Gaza have to come back.”

During the Hamas assault, Ms Damari misplaced two of her palms and didn’t obtain correct scientific remedy whilst being held.

But her injured hand gesture that she flashed on her liberate has been noticed as a logo of defiance and resilience in Israel, showing on posters, t-shirts and memes around the nation.

About 1,200 folks have been killed by means of Hamas-led gunmen that day, whilst Gali and Ziv have been amongst 251 others who have been taken hostage.

More than 52,780 folks were killed in Gaza all over the following warfare, in step with the territory’s Hamas-run well being ministry.

Ms Damari has but to discuss the main points of her captivity, however at a talk over with this weekend to a London synagogue, the place an empty seat which had a poster of her on it all over the 471 days she used to be held, she mentioned she had prayed each day as a hostage, and that on the other hand horrible it used to be, on a daily basis she remembered she used to be grateful to be alive.

Ms Damari’s mom, Mandy, broke down in tears as she thanked the United Kingdom and the British Jewish neighborhood for supporting and campaigning for her daughter whilst she used to be being held.

Ms Damari used to be ready to spend time together with her British circle of relatives this weekend, even supposing the enjoyment at returning to the United Kingdom used to be tinged with some disappointment as her British grandfather died whilst she used to be nonetheless held by means of Hamas.

When she returns to Israel she faces any other operation on her leg and hand as the wear and tear led to by means of the bullet wounds have nonetheless no longer totally healed.

But she is made up our minds that as she now has her freedom, her buddies and fellow hostages will have to quickly practice her.