UK-Israeli Hostage Left Behind, Mother Says
The mother of a British-Israeli woman still held captive by Hamas in Gaza has questioned why the UK isn’t doing more to secure her daughter’s release.
Emily Damari, 28, was abducted on 7 October last year during an attack on an Israeli kibbutz and taken into Gaza, where she has been held ever since. Despite being the only British-Israeli hostage still in captivity, her mother, Mandy Damari, expressed frustration that her daughter’s situation seems to have been overlooked.
At a memorial event in London marking one year since the deadly attacks, Mandy voiced her deep concerns. Speaking to a large crowd of British Jews gathered in Hyde Park, she said, “Emily is a daughter of both the UK and Israel, but no one seems to talk about her here. It feels like people don’t even realize that a British woman is being held by Hamas.”
The emotional plea came as 97 hostages, including Emily, remain unaccounted for. Mandy urged the British government to act, asking, “Why isn’t the UK fighting every single day to bring her back? Imagine, just for a moment, if she were your daughter. Think about what she must be enduring.”
Since her capture, Emily has been held underground in Gaza, confined in the tunnels used by Hamas. Her mother described the conditions, saying her daughter has been tortured, kept in isolation, and denied basic freedoms.
Mandy shared that Emily, who grew up in Israel but had close ties to the UK, always considered it her second home. She loved watching Tottenham Hotspur, visiting the pub, and shopping at Primark. She even enjoyed a concert by Ed Sheeran. These small pieces of Emily’s life were shared with the audience, humanizing the young woman still trapped in captivity.
Mandy’s heartfelt speech also detailed what she had learned from hostages who had been released earlier. They told her that Emily was alive as of November, offering hope but also deepening the pain. The returnees described Emily as a source of strength for others, doing her best to lift their spirits even in such terrible circumstances.
“The hostages told me they were starved, abused, and tortured. I live in constant fear of what Emily is going through, and every passing moment adds to her suffering,” Mandy said, fighting back tears.
The UK Foreign Office has yet to comment on Emily’s case, despite repeated calls for more action. Other British citizens, including hostages with dual citizenship, remain in Gaza, adding urgency to the calls for intervention.
British families with relatives still in captivity have recently met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, urging them to increase efforts to secure the hostages’ release. At a press conference, Starmer affirmed that the hostages must be freed immediately, but progress remains elusive.
At the Hyde Park event, organized by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and other groups, attendees held up photos of the hostages, lit candles, and waved both British and Israeli flags. Chants of “bring them home” echoed through the crowd, a reflection of the growing frustration and fear among the Jewish community in the UK.
Israeli ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, addressed the gathering, pledging, “We will do whatever we can to bring them home.”
Meanwhile, the ongoing conflict in Gaza continues to escalate. On Saturday, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched through London, demanding an immediate ceasefire and an end to the violence in the region. The war began after Hamas launched a brutal attack on southern Israel on 7 October, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Since then, at least 41,870 people have died in Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-controlled health ministry.
As the war rages on, Mandy Damari’s plea remains unanswered: “How can Emily still be there after a year? Britain should be doing everything in its power to bring her home.”
