Released British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari has revealed that Palestinian terrorists kept her in United Nations-funded facilities.
Damari, speaking on the phone to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said she had been kept in facilities belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa) and denied access to medical treatment.
In the phone call on Friday morning, Damari, 28, and her mother Mandy, thanked the PM and everyone in the UK who campaigned for her release.
Starmer said that he was overjoyed by the “heartwarming” images of Damari reuniting with her mother and invited her to visit 10 Downing Street after she recovers from the 15-month ordeal.
Emily Damari, right, and her mother Mandy embrace after Emily was from captivity by Hamas (Israeli Army via AP)Alamy Stock Photo
On the call, the Prime Minister enquired about Damari’s condition after her return, to which her mother said that she “seems to be doing pretty well psychologically” although she will have a long road ahead of her considering the physical injuries she sustained.
Speaking with Starmer, the mother and daughter urged the British government to increase pressure on Hamas and Unrwa to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to those 82 hostages still held captive in Gaza.
Damari, 28, was abducted from her home on October 7, 2023, by Hamas.
During the violent kidnapping, she sustained gunshot wounds to her hand and leg, and her pet dog was killed. In captivity, the only medical aid she received was an out-of-date bottle of iodine, despite having lost two fingers and suffering from an untreated leg wound.
She was one of the first three hostages released on January 19, after spending 471 days in captivity, as part of the long-awaited ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
In an Instagram post published following her release, Damari wrote "I love, I love, I love", and thanked God, her family and "the closest friends I have in this world".
There was a widespread campaign in the UK to “bring Emily home”. Tottenham Hotspurs supporters pushed for her release. Upon her release, Damari, an avid Spurs fan, thanked them for their support.
