The mother of the one remaining British hostage still in Gaza said her daughter’s plight ‘seems to have been forgotten’ in her first public speech on the eve of the anniversary of the October 7 attack.
Mandy Damari, a nursery school teacher from South London, has not seen 28-year-old Emily in 364 days. She is one of the 251 people taken from Israel into Gaza as hostages by Hamas.
In an emotional appeal for her return on Sunday, Ms Damari, 63, described how her ‘charismatic daughter’ was ‘shot and taken by force from our home’ before being blindfolded and bundled into her own car with two friends.
Hostages released in the November truce told Mandy how her daughter showed ‘bravery and courage’ in captivity, singing ‘It’s a Great Morning’ every morning ‘despite the darkness’.
‘Charismatic ‘ Emily Damari was ‘shot and taken by force’ before being blindfolded and bundled into her own car with two friends
Emily grew up a Tottenham fan, enjoyed British music and ‘loved going to the pub’
Mandy Damari, 63, and her 28-year-old British daughter Emily
Mandy Damari, mother of hostage Emily Damari, speaking at the Remembering October 7 memorial event in Hyde Park, central London
Mandy, a nursery school teacher born in Surrey, England has spent the past year travelling around the world meeting officials and lobbying for Emily’s release
Hostages released in the November truce told Mandy how her daughter showed ‘bravery and courage’ in captivity, singing ‘It’s a Great Morning’ every morning ‘despite the darkness’
‘I’m sure she’s not singing now,’ Ms Damari reflected, asking ‘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?’
Ms Damari spoke at the official anniversary event commemorating the October 7 massacre in Hyde Park, London today, addressing a large crowd who had turned out in support.
It was the first time she had spoken publicly about her daughter since her abduction from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, near the border with Gaza, last year.
Ms Damari described how her daughter, who has dual British-Israeli nationality, ‘adored coming to visit her family’ in Britain, having grown up in Israel.
‘She had the classic British sense of humour with a dash of Israeli chutzpah thrown in for good measure,’ she said.
Emily grew up a Tottenham fan, enjoyed British music and ‘loved going to the pub’.
‘For he, that was England, and she loved her second home across the sea and always looked forward to coming here.
‘Now all of that joy and that light is locked away.’
Ms Damari described how her daughter, who has dual British-Israeli nationality, ‘adored coming to visit her family’ in Britain, having grown up in Israel
During the attack her dog, a golden cockapoo, Choocha, was shot dead
Emily was in her own flat in the kibbutz when Hamas led an incursion into southern Israel, killing some 1,170 people and taking 251 hostage
Ms Damari said her daughter was shot as Hamas gunmen descended on the kibbutz
Emily was in her own flat in the kibbutz when Hamas led an incursion into southern Israel, killing some 1,170 people and taking 251 hostage.
‘Hamas turned our own home into a place of terror,’ Ms Damari told the crowd.
‘Sixty-four of our neighbours – men, women, children and elderly – were sadistically murdered.
‘Nineteen were kidnapped. 12 women were eventually released. Two of our hostages were killed in friendly fire while trying to escape and five are still held in Gaza, including my Emily.’
Ms Damari said her daughter was shot as Hamas gunmen descended on the kibbutz.
‘Her beloved dog Choocha, who was with her, was killed with a gunshot to the neck.
‘Emily was taken, bleeding from her hand, to Gaza by Hamas Kukkba terrorists, who blindfolded her and forced her into her own car with two other friends, the twins, Gali and Ziv Berman.’
Ms Damari learned Emily was still alive during the November ceasefire deal last year, which brought the number of freed hostages up to 105.
‘I know from the women and children who came back last November, when the last ceasefire deal was reached, that Emily was alive.
Mandy Damari has stepped up her desperate campaign to get her daughter back
Emily is believed to still be held in Hamas tunnels under Gaza
‘They told me that some of them had met her while they were being moved around, some for short periods, some for longer.’
Emily is believed to still be held in Hamas tunnels under Gaza.
‘But they all told me about her bravery and courage and even her laughter and the way she helped hold everyone together 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.’
‘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 asked.
‘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. I, and everyone else, have failed her and the only way to make us all feel whole again is to get Emily and all the 101 hostages back to their families.’
Ms Damari paid tribute to the other families still desperately awaiting news about their loved ones still held in Gaza.
Ms Damari is pictured hugging Emily in a heartwarming photo before she was kidnapped
In the months since her daughter was taken hostage, Ms Damari has been campaigning for the British government to do more to secure her release
n a desperate effort to contact her daughter, Ms Damari handed the prime minister a note entitled ‘Letter for Emily’ and asked him to try to deliver it for her
‘Each one of the hostages is someone’s child, grandchild, parent or grandparent, of many different nationalities and religions,’ she said.
‘They are real people with real families just like yours and mine. What would you do if your loved ones were held there? They are not just names or faces you see on a poster that you may or may not forget.
‘They need to be released – the ones still living to be returned to their families and homes, and ones murdered returned for a respectful burial.’
In the months since her daughter was taken hostage, Ms Damari has been campaigning for the British government to do more to secure her release.
On Monday, she travelled to Downing Street to demand the British government do everything in their power to lobby for the release of the remaining hostages.
In a desperate effort to contact her daughter, she handed the prime minister a note entitled ‘Letter for Emily’ and asked him to try to deliver it for her.
The letter, seen by MailOnline, reads: ‘Dear Emily. I hope this note gets to when you are alive and home with me, Abba [Daddy] and all your family. And you’ll see that we are all alive.
Emily is pictured with her beloved dog Choocha, who was shot dead in the attack
Ms Damari learned Emily was still alive during the November ceasefire deal last year, which brought the number of freed hostages up to 105
‘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!)’
Hamas began its sudden incursion into southern Israel on October 7, bringing armed men with cars, motorcycles and paragliders across the border as salvoes of rockets tried to overwhelm the Iron Dome.
The group, serving as the de facto governing authority in Gaza, justified its attack as a response to what it called Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people.
In retaliation, Israel began a devastating offensive into the Gaza Strip with infantry, armour and artillery to return the hostages and oust Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced scrutiny from the international community for the loss of civilian life in Gaza, and domestically from the families of hostages urging a ceasefire to ensure their safe return.
In Gaza, at least 41,870 people have been killed and 97,166 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
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