Desperate mum of Brit hostage, 28, held by Hamas terrorists for a YEAR in Gaza tunnels begs for deal to free daughter
THE tortured mum of the only British hostage left in Gaza begged for a deal to free her daughter from Hamas hell today.
Emily Damari, 28, is the sole Brit still in the clutches of the terrorist savages who dragged 251 terrified captives to their stronghold exactly a year ago.
And her mum Mandy issued a moving public appeal for the first time as distraught families prepared to commemorate the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks today.
Mandy, 63, said: ‘It is breaking my heart a little more, day by day. Soon there will be nothing left of my heart – or Emily.”
South London-born nursery school teacher Mandy has spent the past year travelling the world meeting officials and lobbying for Emily’s release.
Last week she handed a poignant note to prime minister Keir Starmer asking him to use everything in his power to get it delivered through intermediaries to her daughter in Gaza.
The anguished mum has kept her campaign to save Emily low-key but poured out her emotion in her first public statement at a speech in London’s Hyde Park.
The mum-of-four said: “I am Mandy Damari and I come from South London, went to school here and was raised with the great British ideals of pubs, parties and freedom.
“I am here because my daughter Emily, a British-Israeli woman, is no longer free to do any of these things.
“Imagine, for a moment if Emily was your daughter. Try to picture what she is going through. Since the October 7 last year.
“She has been held a hostage by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza terror tunnels, 20 metres or more underground, kept in captivity, tortured, isolated, unable to eat, speak or even move without someone else’s permission.
“Stripped of every human right. It is almost impossible to comprehend her pain. Yet it is the reality she is living every single day.”
Mandy spoke of her torment that bubbly, funny and bright Emily – a fan of Spurs and Ed Sheeran – is now at the mercy of Hamas.
She said: “Emily’s love for life was contagious. She adored coming to visit her family here and seeing her grandad.
“She had the classic British sense of humour with a dash of Israeli chutzpah thrown in for good measure.
“She loved British music; we went to see Ed Sheeren the year before she was taken hostage.
“When she was young her favourite place was London Zoo, not far from here.
“We’d go shopping in Primark and visit markets for a good bargain. She went to see Spurs, who she loved, in their new stadium with her brother.
“And she loved going to the pub. For her that was England – she loved her second home across the sea.
“Now all of that joy and that light is locked away.”
“We don’t need tea and sympathy, we need actions not words.”
Mandy Damari
Emily’s beloved golden cockapoo, Choocha, was shot dead in her arms during the attacks which left her with a gunshot wound to the hand.
Mandy said: “On the morning of 7th October Emily was in her own apartment on Kfar Aza, our peaceful kibbutz.
“But Hamas turned our home into a place of terror. 64 of our neighbours – men, women, children and elderly, were sadistically murdered. 19 were kidnapped.
“Five are still held in Gaza, including my Emily.
“My beautiful, charismatic daughter, with the cheeky smile, was shot and taken by force from her home .
“Emily was taken, bleeding from her hand to Gaza by Hamas Nukkba terrorists, who blindfolded her and forced her into her own car with two other friends.
“I know from the women and children who came back last November, when the last ceasefire deal was reached, that Emily was alive.
“Some of them had met her while they were being moved around, some for short periods, some for longer.
“But they all told me about her bravery and courage and even her laughter and the way she helped hold everyone even in the worst times.
“One even said she sang a song every morning called ‘boker shel kef’ – which means ‘it’s a great morning, despite the darkness.’
“But who knows? I’m sure she’s not singing now.”
Mandy is terrified that any rescue attempt by Israeli forces will end in tragedy and pleaded for a negotiated ceasefire to save her daughter.
Evil Hamas terror master Yahya Sinwar was yesterday reported to have gathered groups of hostages around him to shield himself.
Mandy said: “I keep thinking of the six hostages that were murdered hours before they were discovered by the IDF.
“In the tunnel they were kept in, there was no room to stand up in and hardly any air to breathe.
“How is it that she is still imprisoned there after one year? Why isn’t the whole world, especially Britain, fighting every moment to secure her release.
“She is one of their own. But her plight seems to have been forgotten. My beautiful, funny and brave daughter, who I love to the moon and back deserves to come home.
“I need to hug her again. I need to see her smile. I know we could and should be doing more.
“The only way to make us all feel whole again is to get Emily and all the 101 hostages back to their families.”
“Please help us to return them home before it’s too late for them all. We must act now.
“No matter how dark the days become, like Emily, always told me to do, I still hold onto hope.
“Hope that there will be good news, hope that Emily and all the hostages will be returned home and hope that the world will stand for justice and freedom.
Calling for Starmer’s government to apply more diplomatic pressure to secure a breakthrough, Mandy said: We cannot afford to lose any more lives to this nightmare.
“We don’t need tea and sympathy, we need actions not words.”
Heartbroken mum shares touching note to hostage daughter
The touching note she handed to the PM - which she hopes will reach Emily through diplomatic “back-channels” read:
Dear Emily.
I hope this note gets to when you are alive and home with me, Abba (Hebrew for daddy ) and all your family. And you’ll see that we are all alive.
If it gets to you in Gaza know that we all love you and miss you and are sick with worry about what is happening to you every day and we are praying and meeting whoever we can to get you back home.
Please keep strong, keep praying and just be your beautiful self that I love to the moon and back. You will come home.
And I promise that I’ll never complain again about your perfume sticking to me when you’re home.
Love you so much
Your Mum (who is always right!)