‘I just want to hug him’: Family of British-Israeli hostage after news he will be released

It has been 471 days since Emily Damri was shot in the arm and dragged from her home in southern Israel to Gaza.

The British-Israeli national was also hit by shrapnel and shot and killed her dog Chucha on 7 October.

He has now been named by Hamas as one of the first hostages it plans to release as part of its long-awaited release Agreement on ceasefire agreement with Israel.

After it was revealed that Emily was one of the first hostages to be released, Emily Cohen, representing the Damari family, said it had been “a torturous 471 days but an especially torturous 24 hours”.

Ms. Cohen said, “Emily’s mother Mandy just wants to hug Emily. But until she sees it, she won’t believe it.”

He added, “It’s not done until she’s out and Mandy can actually see that she’s out. It’s not done until it’s done. It happens. And there is a long road ahead.

“They don’t know the situation they’re in and there are other hostages who need to be released and who need humanitarian assistance to keep them alive. It’s a long, long road.”

The past 15 months have been painful for Mandy Dambree.

On Friday, Mrs. Damari lit Shabbat candles to mark the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath.

Behind the candles is a photograph of his daughter and to the side of the photograph is a British flag.

Her prayers: that this would be the last Shabbat that Emily would be held as a hostage.

Around the world, especially in British homes, candles are lit on Friday nights with photos of Emily or other hostages praying for their release.

In an interview with BBC News last month, Mrs Damari described how other hostages released in November 2023 had seen 28-year-old Emily.

“Some of them met her in captivity. A family at the beginning and a family at the end. And they told me that, basically, except for the gunshot wounds, she was fine. She was still healthy, and That was Emily,” she said.

“She was really brave there, and she thought she was going to come home. She thought she was going to be released in that armistice, because women were supposed to be released after that. And someone said, ‘Do you want that? I’ll be released” ‘Get something for you?’ And she said ‘No, no, I’ll be back tomorrow.’ And then she wasn’t.”

In March 2024, his family was informed that he was still alive but no information was received about his condition. By Sunday, there was nothing.

In December, Mrs Damari told the BBC how concerned she was about her daughter’s circumstances.

“She could be hungry or dehydrated or suffering from asthma because you can’t breathe in the tunnels,” he said.

“If she is alone, even if no one touches her, she is still suffering mental and physical torture all the time, just by the fact that she is in a terrible terror tunnel, and I worry every day, I worry every moment I worry because the next second, he could be murdered.”

Mrs. Damari is dignified and determined. She never wanted to be in the limelight, but traveled the world, appearing at rallies and meeting politicians to campaign for her daughter’s release.

Mrs. Damari initially did not speak publicly about her daughter because she said she trusted governments and negotiators to secure her release.

But she became frustrated by the failure of the British government and the international community to quickly release her daughter, get her any humanitarian assistance or ascertain whether her daughter was still alive.

Mother and daughter were in their separate homes on Kibbutz Kfar Azza when Hamas gunmen attacked on the morning of 7 October 2023.

As Mandy hid in the safe room, she was saved because a bullet hit the handle making it impossible for the attackers to open the door.

Meanwhile, Emily was being dragged into Gaza.

Emily has strong ties to the UK. She is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur and frequently visits Britain to visit her relatives, attend concerts, go shopping and go to pubs here.

At Spurs matches, fans released yellow balloons and chanted for his release.

He has also lost precious moments. Upon her release Emily will learn that her British grandfather, whom she visited regularly, died while she was imprisoned.

Mrs Dambree said: “My husband has Alzheimer’s, and she always makes sure I’m OK and he’s OK and she visits him in his care home. He’s the core of our family and a key part is missing. It’s like a piece of my heart isn’t there.”

The last time Mandy Dambree heard from her daughter was October 7.

As soon as her kibbutz was attacked, Emily sent a text message containing a heart emoji.

Now the Dambree family hopes their hearts will mend.

They will still mourn for the many neighbors and friends killed and demand the release of all hostages.

But they will be hoping Emily can do the same back with them after their brutal split.

They just want his house.

“I love him very much and back then, he’s a special person,” Mrs. Dambree said.

“It sounds like a cliché, but she’s the best daughter I could possibly ask for.”