FREED British Gaza hostage Emily Damari smiles and gestures after operations on her hand to fix wounds left by Hamas terrorists.
Tottenham fan Emily, 28, lost two fingers when she was kidnapped from the Kfar Aza kibbutz in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Emily lost two fingers when she was kidnapped from the Kfar Aza kibbutz in Israel on October 7, 2023[/caption]
Brit Emily was freed last month after being kidnapped by Hamas terrorists[/caption]
Emily, the sole Brit hostage when freed last month, was left in agony after Hamas surgeons sewed the nerves in her missing fingers together during her 471-day ordeal.
Emily said: “I have fully embraced my hand, my pain, and my scars.
“To me they represent freedom, hope and strength.
“The surgery in my hand and leg went much better than expected.
“My recovery will take time and my hand will never fully recover, but the intense pain I had for a year and a half… is now no longer with me.
“And the large scar, that was caused by an open, festering, wound that did not heal for four months because of the conditions of the tunnels I was held in, is now looking better.
“Although my injuries were not simple, I know that there are others still in captivity who are in much worse shape than I am, physically and mentally.
“Every remaining hostage must come home without any further delay.”
Her mum Mandy 63, who grew up in South London, said Emily was lucky to escape a life-threatening infection as Hamas surgeons had sewn up the wound “like a pin cushion”.
What happened on October 7?
ON OCTOBER 7, 2023, Hamas launched a brutal surprise attack on Israel, marking one of the darkest days in the nation’s history.
Terrorists stormed across the border from Gaza, killing over 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and kidnapping 250 others, including women, children, and the elderly.
The coordinated assault saw heavily armed fighters infiltrate Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and military bases, unleashing indiscriminate violence.
Innocent families were slaughtered in their homes, and graphic footage of the atrocities spread across social media, leaving the world in shock.
And as well as attacking people in their homes, they stormed the Nova music peace festival – killing at least 364 people there alone.
The massacre triggered a swift and massive retaliatory response from Israel, escalating into a full-scale war.
The attack not only reignited long-standing tensions in the region but also left deep scars on both sides of the conflict, setting the stage for the 15 months of devastation that followed.
