Nine-year-old girl feared dead by father after being held captive by Hamas is freed
Emily Hand, a nine-year-old girl who was previously feared dead by her father after being taken captive by Hamas, has been freed. The young girl was held hostage by militants in Gaza after being captured in the deadly attack on Kibbutz Be’eri on 7 October.
Her father, Thomas Hand, originally from Dun Laoghaire in Dublin, made an emotional appeal last week for her release, stating that the family was living through a “nightmare,” and that getting Emily back was his “reason for living.”
Following her release, Emily’s family released a statement expressing their joy and gratitude for her return. They thanked the world for its “unwavering support” in trying to secure her release and shared their emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days.
In the statement, the family also expressed concern for the other hostages who have yet to be released. They vowed to continue doing everything in their power to bring them back home.
Emily’s release was celebrated in Ireland, where her family held a birthday party for her at St Stephen’s Green in the Irish capital as they campaigned for her release. Her father met with Irish president Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, and Tanaiste Micheal Martin, who all expressed relief and joy at her safe return.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described Emily’s release as “a day of enormous joy and relief” for her family and the entire country. He also paid tribute to Emily’s family for their tireless campaigning and expressed hope for the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza.
While Emily is now returning to her family, Varadkar noted that many more hostages remain in captivity in Gaza. He emphasized the importance of working towards a permanent ceasefire and a just and lasting peace in the troubled region.
The release of Emily Hand brings hope for other hostages and serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to bring peace to the region.