Irish-Israeli girl, 9, whose father thought she was killed by Hamas terrorists among hostages freed from Gaza
Fox News
A 9-year-old Irish-Israeli girl whose father first believed she had been killed on Oct. 7, was among the 13 Israeli hostages released on Saturday by Hamas.
Emily Hand spent “her birthday in the tunnels of Gaza” her father told Fox News Digital last week. “No party. No friends. She won’t even know if it’s day or night. There’s no light down there. So she won’t know it’s her birthday.”
After waking up at a friend’s house in the kibbutz of Be’eri in southern Israel on Oct. 7, Hand, her friend, Hila, and her friend’s mother, were all kidnapped by Hamas terrorists. Hand was still wearing her Disney pajamas.
She is among some 240 Israeli civilians that were taken by Hamas amid their surprise attack that launched the war with Israel and held as hostages.
Hand’s release came a day after another group of 13 hostages were let go Friday, the first day of the temporary ceasefire.
Thomas said he was first told his daughter had been killed before he realized she had been kidnapped.
Before her release, her father last saw Emily the evening of Oct. 6 at dinner in the communal dining room of the kibbutz.
“We had an eyewitness seeing her being led away by the terrorists with her friend where she was doing a sleepover and the mother of that friend,” he said last week. “So it’s absolutely confirmed that she was taken away by the terrorists and is in the tunnels of Gaza now.”
NO AMERICAN HOSTAGES FREED BY HAMAS ON DAY 1 OF CEASE-FIRE WITH ISRAEL
Video was released Saturday of Emily’s emotional reunion with her father after more than 50 days of captivity.
Israeli military officials stood by while the family members hugged each other.
Other hostages who were released on Saturday include Noam Or, 17, and Alma Or, 13, along with 53-year-old Shiri Weiss and 18-year-old Noga Weiss.
Sharon Hertzman Avigdori, 52, and 12-year-old Noam Avigdori were also released. Other captives included Shoshan Haran, 67, Adi Shoham, 38, and 8-year-old Nave Shoham, along with 3-year-old Yahel Shoham.
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The remaining two Israeli captives were Hila Rotem Shoshani, 13, and 21-year-old Maya Regev Jarbi. Four Thai nationals were also released.
Fox News Digital’s Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.