Mother of Sole British-Israeli Hostage Expresses Profound Concern for Daughter’s Life After Over 400 Days in Captivity

The mother of the sole British-Israeli hostage held by Hamas has articulated her growing apprehensions regarding her daughter’s survival, following over 400 days in detention. Emily Damari, aged 28, was seized by Hamas from her residence in southern Israel on 7 October 2023. “I fear that she’s dead,” her mother Mandy stated to the BBC during her inaugural television interview. “And if she’s not dead, she’s not getting enough food to eat, she’s not able to wash herself, drink water, she could be ill.” “She’s suffering from gunshot wounds to her hand and her leg… I worry every day, I worry every second because in the next second, she could be murdered, just because she’s there.” Mandy Damari, a native of Surrey, urged the British government to intensify efforts to guarantee humanitarian provisions reach the hostages as negotiations for their liberation proceed. She additionally expressed approval for US President-elect Donald Trump’s declaration that there would be “hell to pay” if the hostages were not freed prior to his January inauguration, commenting: “It made me a bit more optimistic”. Hamas assailants shot Emily and fatally wounded her dog during their assault on Kibbutz Kfar Aza nearly 14 months ago. Mandy also sought refuge as Hamas invaded her home, surviving only because a bullet jammed the lock of her hiding place. Approximately 1,200 individuals were killed on that day; concurrently, Emily and 250 other people were transported to Gaza as captives. The US, Egypt, and Qatar have dedicated months to formulating an agreement to secure the freedom of the 97 remaining hostages in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza. However, these discussions have faltered, with both Hamas and Israel attributing blame to the other for the deadlock. Without explicitly naming Hamas or Gaza, Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday: “Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire world, in the Middle East – but it’s all talk, and no action!” “If the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against humanity,” he cautioned. Mrs. Damari commented that the post “gave me a bit of hope that maybe someone does really care about what’s going on there”. “Someone has to do something and take strong action to get them released. And that’s the strongest thing I’ve heard anyone say for a long time.” She expressed her hope that Trump would utilize all available means to secure the release of her daughter and the other captives. Mrs. Damari – who characterizes her daughter as a Spurs football enthusiast fond of visiting the UK to see family, shop, and frequent pubs – conveyed her dissatisfaction with the British government. She is presently in the UK engaging with political figures, including the prime minister. However, she characterized the government’s recent endorsement of a draft UN Security Council resolution advocating an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as insufficient for guaranteeing the hostages’ release. The draft did call for their freedom, but the US vetoed it, asserting that it did not establish their release as a prerequisite for a ceasefire. “I felt really like they were stabbing me in the heart. There was no prerequisite to release the hostages… It was basically signing a death warrant for her [Emily], because if there’s a ceasefire with no release of the hostages, the hostages will stay there forever,” Mrs. Damari stated. She now desires further action from them. “I really need the British government if they are not able to get her released immediately, at least to get her humanitarian aid or a sign of life, and let me know what’s happening with that, because I’m desperate for a sign of life.” She further remarked: “We talk about humanitarian aid all the time to Gaza, but I don’t hear about humanitarian aid for the hostages who are held in despicable conditions. I’m desperate to get humanitarian aid into her, for someone to see her. It’s a human right to allow to allow people to see what’s happening to her.” Mrs. Damari initially refrained from public discourse concerning her daughter, trusting governments and negotiators to secure her release. However, she now seeks to inform the British public that a dual citizen is being detained. “She is the only British hostage being held… and I want people to help me to get her out, to be her voice because she can’t call out for herself. She has no voice.” Over 44,500 individuals have died in Gaza since Israel initiated a military operation following the 7 October assault, as reported by the territory’s Hamas-administered health ministry.