Emily Damari, 28, flashed a victory sign with her bandaged hand during an emotional video call with friends Sunday evening, hours after being freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza, along with Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher. Despite missing two fingers from injuries sustained during her capture, her smile lit up the screen as she reunited with loved ones after 471 days in captivity.
"Emily's nightmare is finally over," her mother Mandy said in a statement after greeting her daughter at an IDF reception center near the Re'im crossing. Emily was released alongside fellow hostages Doron Steinbrecher and Romi Gonen as part of the latest exchange deal.
The dual Israeli-British citizen appeared in good spirits despite her ordeal, though her bandaged hand bore testament to the violence of her October 7 capture.
Emily's path to captivity began when she took shelter in a safe room with neighbors Gali Berman and his twin brother Ziv during the October 7 attack. The group managed to send out a final selfie before being taken, though it only reached the Bermans' mother later that evening.
Her mother Mandy survived by hiding in her own home, where a twist of fate may have saved her life - a bullet fired by the attackers jammed the lock on her hiding place, preventing them from entering.
Emily lost two fingers when Hamas militants shot her during the attack on Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
Speaking to the BBC, Mandy expressed profound thanks to supporters worldwide while emphasizing that other families still wait for their loved ones' return.
"I want to thank everyone who never stopped fighting for Emily throughout this horrendous ordeal, and who never stopped saying her name - in Israel, Britain, the United States and around the world," she said. "While Emily's nightmare is over, the impossible wait continues for other families. Every last hostage must be released."
Dozens of supporters gathered at the Re'im base entrance to welcome Emily home, holding signs including one that read, "Our Emily, welcome home. Our hero!"
The family has requested privacy as Emily begins her journey of recovery.
Ynet contributed to this article.
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