A British-Israeli hostage held by Hamas for 15 months in Gaza has told Sir Keir Starmer she was detained in a United Nations facility but denied medical treatment during her captivity.
Emily Damari, 28, was taken hostage after being kidnapped from her home on 7 October 2023 by Hamas gunmen who shot her in the hand and leg, as well as killing her pet dog.
While on the phone call with her mother, Emily told the prime minister she had been held for some time in United Nations facilities belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) but was not given access to medical facilities.
Israel-Gaza ceasefire – latest updates
An out-of-date bottle was all that was supplied to her, she said, despite losing two fingers on her left hand, and carrying the unhealed wound in her leg.
The pair asked Sir Keir to put maximum pressure on Hamas and UNRWA to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to finally have access to the 82 remaining hostages still being held in the territory.
Writing on X after the phone call, her mother Mandy Damari said: “Hamas held Emily in UNRWA facilities and denied her access to medical treatment after shooting her twice. It’s a miracle that she survived, and we need to get aid to remaining hostages now.”
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On the call, the prime minister asked about Emily’s condition after her return.
Mandy replied that she “seems to be doing pretty well psychologically” although she had a long road ahead of her with her physical injuries.
Emily was released on Sunday 19 January, alongside fellow female hostages Romi Gonen, 24, and 31-year-old Doron Steinbrecher, as part of the opening phase of a Gaza ceasefire deal, which has continued this month with more captives being freed in return for Palestinian prisoners being released.
Three more hostages to be released
A further three Israeli hostages set to be released on Saturday have been named by Hamas.
Israel and Hamas are exchanging hostages and prisoners as a fragile ceasefire holds in Gaza.
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Ofer Kalderon, Keith Samuel Siegel and Yarden Bibas will be released, Hamas armed wing spokesperson Abu Obeida said.
Yarden was kidnapped alongside his wife, Shiri Babas, and their two sons, four-year-old Ariel and 10-month-old Kfir.
He is believed to be the only family member left alive – in November 2023, Hamas said his wife and children had died in an Israeli airstrike before the current ceasefire.
