One of three Israeli hostages freed on the first day of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, spoke out Monday for the first time since her release, saying she has "returned to life."
Emily Damari, 28, was held in Gaza for 471 days after being abducted during the October 7 2023 Hamas attack. Since then, more than 46,600 people Palestinian people have died at the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), and 90 percent of the population has been displaced as a result.
Why It Matters
The ceasefire agreement, which began Sunday, marks a tentative pause in a 15-month war that has devastated Gaza. As part of the truce, three Israeli hostages were released, including Damari, along with 90 Palestinian prisoners, most of them women or teenagers.
The deal, brokered with international mediation, has sparked cautious optimism but remains fragile. It outlines the release of additional hostages in phases over the next six weeks, alongside increased humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.
What to Know
The release of dual Israeli-British citizen Damari has sparked both celebration and reflection in Israel as the country awaits the return of nearly 100 hostages still in captivity.
She was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, near Gaza. She returned home with a bandage on one hand after losing two fingers during the attack. In an Instagram story, she thanked her family and the protest movement that campaigned tirelessly for her release. "Thank you thank you thank you," she said. "I'm the happiest in the world."
Damari was among the first hostages freed under the ceasefire, alongside Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31. Gonen, abducted from the Nova music festival during on the same, was the focus of an international advocacy effort led by her mother. Steinbrecher, a veterinary nurse and Damari's neighbor in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, appeared gaunt in a video released by Hamas earlier this year but is now reported to be in stable condition.
Palestinian prisoners released as part of the exchange were greeted with public celebrations despite warnings from the Israeli military against large gatherings. In the West Bank, Khalida Jarrar, 62, a prominent detainee and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, called her release a "double feeling," expressing both relief and grief for those still detained.
Over 600 aid trucks have entered Gaza since the ceasefire began, addressing urgent needs after months of Israeli restrictions and extensive bombing.
What People Are Saying
On Sunday, Emily Damari's mother Mandy released a statement of thanks for supporters "who never stopped saying her name."
"After 471 days Emily is finally home," she said.
Merav Leshem Gonen, Romi's Gonen's mother said: "We are in an alternate reality in these hours, shutting out the outside world, a time in which there is nothing but family," she posted on Facebook on Monday, after reuniting with her daughter Sunday evening near the Gaza border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the deal, saying, "An entire nation embraces you."
Bara'a Al-Fuqha, a Palestinian hostage and medical student at Al-Quds University said: "Thank God, I am here with my family, I'm satisfied," she said. "But my joy is limited, because so many among us Palestinians are being tortured and abused. Our people in Gaza are suffering. God willing, we will work to free them, too."
What Happens Next
Israeli officials have warned that military operations against Hamas could resume if the group violates the terms of the truce. On Monday, the United Nations called for the ceasefire to transition into a permanent peace agreement, while humanitarian organizations continued to highlight the dire needs of Gaza's population.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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