Sole British hostage in Gaza ‘still in hell’, her mother tells Hyde Park crowd

The sole British hostage inactive successful Gaza a twelvemonth aft she was taken by Hamas has been “stripped of each quality right” and remains “in hell”, her parent said arsenic she called for her harmless return.

Mandy Damari spoke astir her girl Emily publically for the archetypal time, done tears, to thousands gathered successful London’s Hyde Park for an lawsuit commemorating the October 7 attacks connected Israel.

The British-Israeli 28-year-old – an Ed Sheeran fan, London Zoo enthusiast, foodie and Spurs supporter, with a mixed consciousness of classical British humour and “Israeli chutzpah” – had had her “joy and airy locked away” for a year.

Stripped of each quality right, it is astir intolerable to comprehend (Emily's) pain, yet it is the world she is surviving each azygous day. One twelvemonth has passed and she is inactive successful hell

Mandy Damari, Emily's mother

Speaking successful Hyde Park connected Sunday, Ms Damari, from southbound London, said she went to Israel successful her 20s and met her husband, fell successful emotion and moved to a kibbutz wherever they raised 4 children and 4 grandchildren.

She highlighted “freedom” arsenic a British perfect she had grown up with and a worth that she instilled successful her children and grandchildren – “freedom to think, to talk and to unrecorded fully” – but said her girl was nary longer free.

“Since October 7 past year, she has been held a hostage by Hamas terrorists successful the Gaza panic tunnels, 20 metres oregon much underground, kept successful captivity, tortured, isolated, incapable to eat, talk oregon adjacent determination without idiosyncratic else’s permission,” Ms Damari said.

“Stripped of each quality right, it is astir intolerable to comprehend her pain, yet it is the world she is surviving each azygous day.”

She told the crowd: “One twelvemonth has passed and she is inactive successful hell.

“On the greeting of October 7, Emily was successful her ain flat connected Kfar Aza, our peaceful kibbutz, but that time Hamas turned our location into a spot of terror.

“Sixty-four of our neighbours – men, women, children and aged – were sadistically murdered, 19 were kidnapped, 12 women were yet released, 2 of our hostages were killed successful affable occurrence portion trying to flight and 5 are inactive held successful Gaza, including my Emily.

“My beautiful, charismatic daughter, with the cheeky smile, was changeable and taken by unit from her home.

“Her beloved canine Choocha, who was with her, was killed with a gunshot to the neck.”

No substance however acheronian the days become, similar Emily ever told maine to do, I inactive clasp onto hope. Hope that determination volition beryllium bully news, anticipation that Emily and each the hostages volition beryllium returned location and anticipation that the satellite volition basal for justness and freedom

Mandy Damari, Emily's mother

Ms Damari said immoderate of the hostages who were released arsenic portion of a impermanent ceasefire woody past November told her her girl was live and spoke of her bravery and laughter and “the mode she helped clasp everyone unneurotic adjacent successful the worst times”.

The parent called for the merchandise of the 101 hostages who remained successful Gaza, saying each 1 was someone’s child, grandchild, genitor oregon grandparent.

“How is it that she (Emily) is inactive imprisoned determination aft 1 year?” Ms Damari said.

“Why isn’t the full world, particularly Britain, warring each infinitesimal to unafraid her release?

“She is 1 of their ain but her plight seems to person been forgotten.

“My beautiful, comic and brave daughter, who I emotion to the satellite and backmost deserves to travel home. I request to hug her again. I request to spot her smile.

“I cognize we could and should beryllium doing more. I and everyone other has failed her and the lone mode to marque america each consciousness full again is to get Emily and each the 101 hostages backmost to their families.”

She urged those successful powerfulness to “use each ounce of power they have” to advocator for the merchandise of the hostages.

Ms Damari concluded her code by saying: “I privation to extremity by saying this – nary substance however acheronian the days become, similar Emily ever told maine to do, I inactive clasp onto hope.

“Hope that determination volition beryllium bully news, anticipation that Emily and each the hostages volition beryllium returned location and anticipation that the satellite volition basal for justness and freedom.”

Attendees cheered loudly astatine the extremity of Ms Damari’s address.

Ms Damari was joined by different speakers including histrion Tracy-Ann Oberman who told the PA quality bureau it was “heartening” to spot thousands of radical successful attendance.

She added: “My connection contiguous is of community. Of lasting together, of remembering our humanity – humanity for everyone, but besides particularly today, remembering those who were massacred connected October 7 and the hostages who are inactive successful captivity who we desperately request to bring back.

“We indispensable not hide humanity. Humanity for everyone who is suffering. That is the Jewish way.”

Other attendees connected signifier included Ada Sagi, who was seized from her location by Hamas connected October 7 and held hostage for 53 days successful Gaza, and holocaust subsister Mala Tribich.

The brace took to the signifier to airy candles successful commemoration of the attacks. Moments later, the assemblage raised their ain candles earlier observing a minute’s silence.

As radical began to permission the lawsuit and marque their mode home, a tiny radical of pro-Palestinian activists who had gathered astatine Speakers’ Corner began to outcry “shame connected you” and “live, unrecorded Palestine”.

One protester could beryllium heard shouting “no-one wants you successful the Middle East, spell backmost home”.

The pro-Israeli broadside were seen shouting backmost arsenic constabulary formed a enactment betwixt the 2 groups.

A subordinate of the public, who was aboriginal seen successful tears, could beryllium heard telling an serviceman that the pro-Palestine radical were displaying “a solemnisation of terrorism”.