A CHILD hostage who could barely speak when freed from her Gaza terror found her voice yesterday — pleading for peace on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks.
Traumatised ten-year-old Emily Hand emerged virtually mute 50 days after being dragged away by Hamas and forced to stay silent at knifepoint.
Hamas hostage Emily Hand, who could barely speak when freed from her Gaza terror has found her voice — pleading for peace on the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks[/caption]
Emily’s proud dad, Tom, above, told yesterday how she has found the courage to speak on stage to plead for an end to the fighting.[/caption]
But yesterday, two years on, the brave survivor told The Sun: “I know what it’s like to be a hostage in Gaza and want everyone to come home and I want peace.
“I’ve never lived in peace in my life. I want to know what it’s like.”
It came as negotiations continued in a bid to return the remaining 48 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza — 28 of whom are believed to be dead.
Emily’s proud dad told how she has found the courage to speak on stage to plead for an end to the fighting.
Tom Hand, 65, told The Sun: “When she came home, she was a wreck and I was terrified that she would never get over what she’d been through.
“But she has not only got her voice back, she’s public speaking in support of the hostages still trapped.
“I was giving a speech in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv in front of thousands of people with Emily beside me when she suddenly said she wanted to say something.
“This was the girl who came back from Gaza speaking in whispers. I was so proud that she had come so far.
“She scribbled a few words on a piece of paper, then addressed the crowd to huge applause. It was a very emotional moment.”
Emily issued an impassioned plea for a peace deal. And her brief address in Hebrew ended with the call, in English, to world leaders: “Bring them home.”
She has since given another speech — this time televised in Israel — asking PM Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a deal.
Emily was snatched from the Be’eri kibbutz close to the Gaza frontier as hundreds of Hamas fighters ran rampage, killing a tenth of the 1,000-strong community there and kidnapping 30.
She has needed intensive therapy and counselling since she returned an emaciated, lice-infested shadow of her former bright and happy self.
Dad Tom revealed she is now “nearly 100 per cent” recovered, thanks to the love and support of her family at a temporary home at the Hatzerim kibbutz, 20 miles from Gaza.
Dublin-born Tom, who grew up in London, travelled to Israel three decades ago to volunteer on a kibbutz.
Emily was on a sleepover at a pal’s home when she was snatched and Tom survived by barricading himself in a safe room for 19 hours.
He had two children Aiden, 30, and Natali, 27, with wife Narkis before they split, then had Emily with new partner Liat, who died of breast cancer when Emily was two.
Narkis, 52, was killed on October 7 when 400 Hamas thugs rampaged through Be’eri.
Emily was on a sleepover at a pal’s home when she was snatched and Tom survived by barricading himself in a safe room for 19 hours.
His terrified daughter — who was rushed from house-to-house by Hamas fighters during gun battles with Israeli troops — turned nine in Gaza captivity.
Tom said: “She’d been held at knifepoint by animals and returned to us wearing the same pyjamas she was wearing when she was kidnapped 50 days earlier. She stank. Her hair was matted and alive with lice.
“There were times I thought she might be irreparably damaged, but she’s proved to be a lot stronger than we all thought.
“Emily has tried sleeping alone but still has nightmares and has to get into bed with me and still gets sudden flashbacks.
“Today, she told me for the first time that she saw a man on the ground with blood pouring from a bullet wound to the head as she was dragged away.
“After 50 days with Hamas it’s as though she wants to show the world nothing can scare her and has tried skydiving, surfing and all the scariest theme park rides. She’s somehow bounced back and become the little girl I love — and so much more.
“I feel so lucky, but can’t stop thinking about the poor people who have yet to come home and the state they must be in.”
Dad Tom with The Sun’s front page calling for the return of children that were being held hostage by the terror group Hamas[/caption]
US ENVOY DUO JOIN PEACE BID
By Nick Parker
DONALD Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner flew to Egypt yesterday as hopes were raised of an agreement on the US President’s Gaza peace plan.
The pair were en route to Sharm el-Sheikh to join the negotiations taking place between Hamas and Israel over the 20-point plan that has been put forward by Mr Trump.
Israeli hostages trapped in Gaza for two years could walk free within 72 hours of the deal followed by nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Mr Trump has said that the deal is “doing very well” and Hamas are “agreeing to things that are very important”.
