Emily Damari reunited with her mother after 15 months of Hamas captivity as family says she lost two fingers

TEL AVIV — These are the smiles that say: “I am free.”

The first three hostages released Sunday as part of the ceasefire deal were greeted by their mothers with hugs, smiles and tears.

But the toll of 15 months in hell was never far from visible. Even as Emily Damari, 28, hugged her mother and greeted family members on a video call, she revealed a bandaged left hand and two missing fingers that had been torn off when Hamas terrorists took her hostage on October 7, 2023.

---

Follow the Post’s live blog for the latest news on hostage releases as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes effect.

---

Damari, Anglo-Israeli citizen; Romi Gonen, 23 years old; and Doron Steinbrecher, 31; were handed over on Sunday by a platoon of masked terrorists armed with assault rifles – after an hour’s delay on the part of Hamas leaders. A screaming crowd of Palestinians surrounded the women in Gaza as a final act of intimidation.

“After 471 days, Emily is finally home,” her mother Mandy Damari said in a statement.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who fought tirelessly for Emily throughout this difficult time. To all those who raised their voices and called his name, in Israel, in England, in the United States and around the world – thank you. Thanks to you, Emily came home.

“Emily’s nightmare in Gaza is over, but there are still too many families still waiting in pain. We must work together for the release of every last person kidnapped. Those still in captivity need immediate humanitarian assistance,” the family added.

Steinbrecher’s family echoed the joy of finding her in Israel by thanking new President Donald Trump for his “significant involvement and support” in securing a ceasefire.

“Our beloved Dodo is finally back in our arms,” the family said in a statement. “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported and accompanied us throughout this journey. »

Hamas – which made a show of force during the transfer of the hostages – made one last unhealthy gesture for the captives. Two of the women received “gift bags”, containing a “certificate” and photos of their time in captivity.

The women were delivered unharmed to Israel on Sunday morning following a deviation from the ceasefire timetable in which Israel accused Hamas of delaying the production of the list of 33 hostages expected to be released under the of the first phase of the agreement.

Red Cross vehicles dropped the women off at an Israeli military checkpoint, where they were met and escorted out of the car by Israeli soldiers.

The former hostages could be seen holding back tears of joy as they hugged the soldiers and conducted a quick debriefing.

Gonen, who was shot in the arm and kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the Nova music festival on October 7, cried as she hugged one of the soldiers for a long time after the briefing.

The women and their families were then taken to Sheba Medical Center, where they were required to undergo a medical evaluation and regain strength before returning home.

The release of the hostages was welcomed by hundreds of people in Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square who watched the situation unfold on the news.

“Romi is coming back!” Emilie is back! Doron is back! The crowd could be heard chanting once the women were secured by the IDF.

President Biden welcomed the start of the ceasefire and hostage exchange on Sunday morning, intending to ease the transition during ongoing negotiations during his final day in office.

“The agreement I first proposed last May for the Middle East has finally come to fruition. The ceasefire has come into effect in Gaza and today we are witnessing the release of hostages, three Israeli women held against (their) will in dark tunnels for 470 days,” Biden told reporters.

“After so much suffering, destruction and loss of life, today the guns in Gaza have fallen silent,” he added.

“It is now up to the next administration to help implement this agreement.” »

Trump, who took credit for the hostage deal, celebrated news of the women’s planned release on Sunday.

“The hostages are starting to come out today!” Three wonderful young women will be first,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also hailed Damari’s safe return as “wonderful and long-awaited news.”

“While this ceasefire agreement is to be welcomed, we must not forget those who remain in captivity under Hamas,” Starmer said in a statement.

Some 57 living hostages are still believed to be held in the Gaza Strip, including three Americans. Two of those Americans – Sagui Dekel-Chen and Keith Siegel – are expected to be released during the initial 42-day ceasefire.

New Jersey native Edan Alexander, the third remaining American hostage, is expected to participate in negotiations on a possible second phase of the ceasefire, which would see an effective end to the war in Gaza.