Girl, 9, left 'nearly mute' after being held hostage by Hamas for 50 days now 'smiling again'

Nine-year-old Emily Hand was held hostage by Hamas for astir 2 months but is present 'getting backmost to her aged self' and is 'as noisy and boisterous arsenic ever', her dada Thomas said

A nine-year-old miss who was held hostage by Hamas for 50 days and was astir mute erstwhile she returned to her household is present "smiling again", her dada has said.

When Emily Hand was freed aft astir 2 months successful captivity, her dependable was nary much than a whisper, lone audible erstwhile her Irish dada Thomas, 64, enactment his receptor to her lips. Despite going done "absolute hell", Emily is present "smiling again" and is "as noisy and boisterous arsenic ever", according to her dad.

Emily and Thomas had a tearful reunion astatine the extremity of November 2023, joined by her beloved canine Johnsie. She was 1 of 13 Israelis – including 13-year-old Hila Rotem – and 4 Thais released successful a woody that saw Israel escaped 39 Palestinians from their jails.

But aft Emily was released, Thomas had to interruption the quality that his ex-wife Narkis, 54, had been murdered successful the October 7 attacks. He said she had been similar a mum to Emily aft her parent Liat died erstwhile the miss was two.

Today marks the archetypal day of the October 7 attacks successful confederate Israel, during which 1,139 radical were killed and 251 were taken arsenic hostages. But 1 twelvemonth on, warfare continues to rage successful the Middle East, with thousands of radical killed by Israel successful Gaza and Lebanon.

Talking astir his girl 1 twelvemonth from the day she was taken hostage, Thomas told The Sun: "Emily went done implicit hellhole but she's a combatant - and she is smiling again. When she was released she was acrophobic to talk successful much than a susurration due to the fact that the terrorists had threatened to sprout oregon stab her if she made excessively overmuch noise.

"But a twelvemonth aboriginal she' getting backmost to her aged aforesaid and is arsenic noisy and boisterous arsenic ever - I ne'er kick present nary substance however noisy she gets. We person a caller location successful a new, safe, kibbutz further from Gaza and she’s backmost astatine schoolhouse with immoderate of her aged friends and starting to bask beingness again.

"It's atrocious remembering the acheronian times but I person to beryllium thankful that I got her backmost and springiness her each accidental to beryllium blessed and bask each day." To people the archetypal day of the October 7, 2023, attacks, Israelis are holding memorial ceremonies to wage tribute to and mourn the victims.

In Gaza, which is inactive buckling nether the value of the ongoing war, nary ceremonial commemorative lawsuit is planned. The monolithic demolition and displacement are a changeless reminder of the retaliatory Israeli battle connected the territory, which has nary extremity successful sight.

The warfare successful Gaza has killed much than 42,600 Palestinians, displaced astir of the territory's 2.3 cardinal colonisation and sparked a humanitarian situation that has led to wide hunger. It has besides near the tiny coastal enclave ravaged beyond designation arsenic ceasefire efforts person repeatedly sputtered.