Israeli hostage Emily Damari has become the final British national to be freed today – after 471 daysincaptivity. Her ordeal has been one of abject horror as she lost her friends and her dog, was shot in the hand and then kidnapped in her own car.
But these past 15 months have also been a different kind of nightmare for someone else – her beloved mum Mandy, who has spent every day campaigning to free her little girl, all with no idea of how she was and no way to speak with her.
Earlier this afternoon Emily was finally freed – the pictures of her being handed into the arms of the Red Cross by masked gun-wielding Hamas members soon spread around the world. Her hair was neatly plaited and she wore the bright pink and white jumper. At first glance she looks like any other fashion-forward 20-something. But the terror etched in her face says it all. It will be some time before we know exactly what she has been through, and even longer for the mental scars to heal.
But today not only also marks the end of Emily’s captivity – but also the end of a desperate mother’s plight. And finally it’s the happy outcome Surrey-born Mandy has always hoped for but never dared imagine.
Mandy and Emily have just been pictured together for the first time – beaming in a a screenshot of a video call with Emily’s brother. Their smiles – two of the few they’ve had in 15 months, say it all. In another picture, Emily shows her bandaged hand, and what appears to be some missing digits.
But nothing can spoil the reunion, even Mandy’s vow to fight on.
Mandy said: “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.
“While Emily’s nightmare in Gaza is over, for too many other families the impossible wait continues. Every last hostage must be released, and humanitarian aid must be provided to the hostages who are still waiting to come home.”
Just hours before Emily’s release, Mandy, 63, feared it may not happen.
She said earlier today: “It’s not over. My nightmare is still going on until I see Emily and all the other 98 hostages back in Israel. I have more hope now than I’ve had in the last 15 months. It would be the most wonderful feeling in the world if she comes back, the most wonderful feeling. But I won’t believe it until I see and feel it for myself.”
She now has. But it has been nearly 500 days of torture for both her and her daughter.
Emily was in the Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas members attacked on October 7, 2003. It was one of the worst hit Kibbutzim that day – some 64 residents were killed and 19 more were kidnapped, including Emily. The British-Israeli knew she’d lost many of her friends and even her pet dog, Chooca, during the attack. And was shot in the hand and kidnapped into Gaza in her own car.
Hostages freed just six weeks later said Emily had lice and “was living in filth, forced to use a bucket as a toilet”, but the claims are not yet confirmed. Apart from a sign of life last year, there has been no word until today.
While little could compare to what Emily has been going through, Mandy’s been suffering a different type of pain – spending every day of the past 15 months travelling around the world, meeting world leaders, and fighting for them to help bring Emily home.
To keep her going, Mandy has woken every day, giving her daughter an imaginary hug and sending her a virtual message to “Keep strong, keep alive” and telling her, “you are going to be OK.” She doesn’t know if her daughter will ever see them.
But Mandy is remaining stoic.
“The past 15 months has been a nightmare, living a life like this,” Mandy says. “[But] What she’s been feeling there – who knows. It must have been ten times worse for her than it has been for me.”
Mandy is desperately hoping Emily will be back in Israel alive today and is hoping to finally be able to give her that hug she has dreamt of giving her for so long.
But she’s also vowed that she will not stop campaigning until all 98 hostages are back with their families.
The current deal between Hamas and Israel is for a 42-day ceasefire in order to release 33 hostages in batches over seven-day intervals. The first were released this afternoon, Uk time. But those who remain after that could have months more to wait as negotiations continue.
Mandy, who lived two streets away from her daughter’s Kibbutz, last saw Emily the evening before the Hamas attack.
She had been at a 29th birthday party and had a bit too much to drink.
For months Mandy feared that this may have been their last conversation.
“She told me, ‘You don’t love me when I’m drunk’,” says Mandy. The mum assured a tipsy Emily that was not the case and said goodnight.
The following morning Emily’s Kibbutz was attacked. Mandy had sent her daughter a text saying: “I love you even when you’re drunk.” Emily replied with a heart emoji – the last communication they had.
Mandy, who is currently living in temporary accommodation near Tel Aviv, said she was only saved that day because those shooting her door inadvertently caused her lock to jam.
Now she is left imagining the horrors her youngest daughter is experiencing. “Emily was shot through the hand and had shrapnel in her leg,” Mandy said. “I heard from the hostages that came out in November last year that despite this she still had the same optimism. She was still leading them. But what she’s like now I don’t know, because that’s more than a year ago.”
She added that she’d heard her daughter had been “thrown bandages” and told to “treat herself”, leaving her concerned whether Emily’s wounds may have been affected. But with no communication, it’s difficult to know what’s really happened.
She says: “As far as I know, no one’s been to see her. How she’s doing? I don’t know if the wounds are infected or not infected.”
Mandy grew up in Beckenham before travelling to Israel in her 20s, where she met Emily’s father in Kfar Aza. They had four children and stayed in the Kibbutz until Hamas’s massacre 15 months ago.
Emily has always been proud of her British roots and frequently visits England where she has watched Tottenham play. Supporters of the football team have rallied around, chanting at matches: “She’s one of our own – bring Emily home.”
Mandy said: “The British public has been wonderful.”
The mum has made several trips to London, as well as Geneva and Washington DC to call for support. She has met several politicians from across all political parties including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch, and Reform’s Nigel Farage.
She has been to a weekly vigil in Israel and delivered a speech at the memorial event in London last October.
Everywhere she goes, Mandy keeps reminders of her daughter with her. She wears a necklace with an illustration of her face on it, keeps a picture in her purse, and even has a doll that looks like her.
“We call it “Little Emily”,” she jokes. “It has a cap on like Emily’s, it looks like Emily, and it’s in my living room all the time looking at me.”
Today she finally got to see the real Emily once more.
Emily Cohen, who has been representing the family, said: “These final few hours have been the most agonising that you can imagine, after nearly 500 days of unending torment for Mandy and all the other families. Obviously this is amazing news for Mandy and Emily’s entire family.
“I know she wants everyone to know how deeply grateful she is to the British public, MPs, football supporters and strangers from around the world, who have been praying and campaigning for Emily’s release.”
Figure earlier this month reported more than 45,000 Palestinian and 1,700 Israelis have been reported killed in the Israel–Hamas war. Experts has warned the numbers could be even higher.
