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Emily Damari: phone call with Inglesian Prime Minister Starmer

The Anglo-Israeli citizen spoke on the phone and recounted her time in the hands of Hamas to the British Prime Minister

British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari (pictured before being kidnapped by Hamas) was finally freed after being kidnapped by Hamas on 7 October 2023. During an emotional phone call with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Emily, together with her mother Mandy, expressed deep gratitude to all those who contributed to her return home. Starmer invited Emily to visit Number 10 Downing Street once she had recovered her strength.

Experiences of Imprisonment

Emily, 28, was brutally abducted from her home in southern Israel, her hand injured with the loss of two fingers and her leg, and she was also deprived of her dog, which was killed by her abductors. Her captivity, which lasted over a year, took place in inhuman conditions. Confined in UNRWA-run facilities, she did not receive the necessary medical care, with only an expired bottle of iodine to treat her wounds. She was denied proper care, leading to the loss of two fingers on her left hand and an untreated gunshot wound to her leg.

Appeal for Other Hostages

During the phone call, Emily and her mother Mandy urged the Prime Minister to put pressure on Hamas and UNRWA to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to the 82 hostages still being held, many of them elderly or seriously injured. They called for an acceleration of negotiations to ensure the rapid release of all hostages and the provision of adequate medical care.

The Importance of International Support

The agreement between Israel and Hamas provides for the gradual release of the hostages, but the priority remains the safety and health of these prisoners. The solidarity and support received has been crucial for Emily and her family, who continue to hope for a quick and safe resolution for all hostages still in the hands of their captors.

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