The ordeal of Emily Damari, 28, came to an end Sunday evening as she was released from Hamas captivity in Gaza after 471 harrowing days, alongside Doron Steinbrecher and Romi Gonen.
Emily’s mother, Mandy, was among the first to greet her at an IDF reception center near the Re’im crossing, where families were reunited shortly after the hostages crossed into Israeli territory.
4 View gallery
Emily Damari (top right) and her mother Mandy in a video call with Emily's friends after her release from Hamas captivity
A video call captured the emotional moment Emily spoke to friends, smiling despite her injuries. In another image, Emily is seen raising her hand in a victory sign, with two fingers visibly missing and her hand bandaged. Emily was shot in her hand during her abduction on October 7 from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Emily, a dual Israeli-British citizen, expressed gratitude through her mother Mandy in a statement to the BBC issued shortly after it was confirmed she was in the country: "After 471 days Emily is finally home. I want to thank everyone who never stopped fighting for Emily throughout this horrendous ordeal, and who never stopped saying her name. In Israel, Britain, the United States and around the world. Thank you for bringing Emily home."
4 View gallery
Damari emerges from Hamas vehicle as she is transferred to Red Cross, in Gaza City
(Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas)
According to the BBC, Mandy added that while "Emily's nightmare" is over "the impossible wait" continues for other families.
"Every last hostage must be released, and humanitarian aid must be provided to the hostages who are still waiting to come home," she continued. She also requested privacy for Emily and their family during this time.
At the Re’im base entrance, dozens of supporters held signs, including one reading, “Our Emily, welcome home. Our hero!”
Emily was abducted from her home during the October 7 Hamas attack. She had been sheltering in a safe room with neighbor Gali Berman—who was also kidnapped along with his twin brother Ziv—and another neighbor. Before their abduction, the group managed to send a selfie, which only reached Berman’s mother later that evening.
During the attack, Hamas terrorists killed Emily’s dog and shot her in the hand, likely leading to the loss of two fingers. Mandy narrowly escaped harm when she hid in her home. A bullet fired by the assailants jammed the lock on her hiding place, preventing the attackers from entering.