A British woman held hostage by Hamas for 15 months said her scars represent 'freedom, hope and strength' as she underwent surgery for injuries sustained during the October 7 attacks.
Emily Damari, 28, was taken from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on the morning of Hamas's attack on Israel in 2023 and shot in the hand. Emily said: "I have fully embraced my hand, my pain and my scars. To me, they represent freedom, hope and strength."
Emily was held for 471 days with severe injuries and received little medical treatment. She has now undergone a series of complex operations on her hand and leg to repair damage caused by the attack and her time in captivity.
She said: "The surgery in my hand and leg went much better than expected, thanks to the surgeons' expertise and professionalism here. My recovery will take time and my hand will never fully recover. 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.
"After my recuperation, with the help of physiotherapy, I hope to be able to use my hand much more effectively than was previously possible."
She said her hand will never fully recover and described the 'intense pain' she suffered for a year-and-a-half following an operation in Gaza. Emily's mother, Mandy Damari, who grew up in Beckenham, south-east London, said that her daughter had been 'sewn up like a pin cushion' in Gaza.
She added: "It is nothing short of a miracle that she did not contract a life-threatening infection." At the time of her release Mandy said: "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."
Emily was in Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas attacked. It was one of the worst hit that day - some 64 residents were killed and 19 more were kidnapped, including Emily. After her release Emily was very keen to thank her fellow Tottenham Hotspur fans for their support during her ordeal.
At the time a spokesperson said that Emily "wants to thank Tottenham Hotspur, together with its fans and players, for all their unwavering support during her time being held captive in Gaza. She can't wait to come back to London to see her favourite team play."
Emily knew she had lost many of her friends and even her pet dog, Chooca, during the attack. She was shot in the hand and kidnapped into Gaza in her own car. She was released on January 19 and was one of the first three hostages to be freed when the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was struck. Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, were also freed at the same time.
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