Mandy Damari posted the first photo of her daughter, former hostage Emily Damari, showing her damaged hand without bandages, to X on Tuesday.
“Thank you to everyone in the UK and around the world who supported the campaign to bring Emily home, and for all your messages here on X. You are amazing and we love you all. 94 hostages still need us.” Mandy wrote.
Emily was kidnapped from her apartment in Kfar Aza on October 7, along with 37 other residents of her kibbutz.
During the kidnapping, her dog Choocha was shot, and she sustained her injury.
She was released, along with Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher, as part of the first phase of the ceasefire hostage deal.
Thank you to everyone in the UK and around the world who supported the campaign to bring Emily home, and for all your messages here on X. You are amazing and we love you all 94 hostages still need us️ pic.twitter.com/nuRVj6n8tt
— Mandy Damari (@DamariMandy) January 21, 2025
Damari grew up in southeast London and is a fan of the North London soccer team Tottenham Hotspur, whose fans have been known to chant, “She’s one of our own, she’s one of our own, Emily Damari, bring her home.”
In the seventh minute of the North London Derby, between historic rivals Tottenham and Arsenal, yellow balloons were released in her honor.
‘Just the beginning’
Tony Moss, Damari’s cousin, spoke to the BBC, describing her release as a “huge relief,” saying this was “just the beginning – we need to get the other hostages out.”
Moss stated he “broke down in tears” after seeing pictures of Damari with her mother.
“There’s been an anxiety for 471 days, a huge anxiety that we were all carrying around with us, and we can let that go now but only in respect of Emily,” he added.
Danielle Greyman-Kennard contributed to this report.
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