After he thought she was murdered by Hamas, Thomas reunites with his daughter Emily
Young girl from Kibbutz Beeri returns safe and sound after 50 days in captivity in Gaza, during which she celebrated her birthday
Emily Hand returned to Israel on Saturday after 50 days in captivity in the Gaza Strip.
The 9-year-old resident of Kibbutz Beeri was kidnapped on Oct. 7 along with her friend Hila Rotem-Shoshani, while her stepmother, Narkis, was murdered.
Her father Thomas Hand was initially told that his daughter Emily had been murdered, however, about a month after the massacre, the family was informed that Emily was, in fact, alive and being held captive by Hamas.
While in captivity in Gaza, Emily celebrated her 9th birthday. Supporters around the world celebrated her birthday and wished for her to return home.
Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin celebrated the release of Emily, 'a bright and beautiful young girl,' who holds Israeli-Irish citizenship.
"After weeks of trauma, this is a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family. The people of Ireland have been touched by Emily's story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father, Tom," Martin released in a statement.
"I had the opportunity to meet Tom before traveling to the region, and I was struck by the strength and resilience with which he advocated for his daughter's release. This is a message that my colleagues and I in government sought to amplify as we engaged internationally, through political, diplomatic and security channels, in a bid to secure Emily's safe return," he continued.
When Emily's father was first informed she had been killed, he described a sense of relief. He explained that among the different possibilities, this was preferable to him over her captivity in Gaza.
"It's a roller coaster of emotions, a nightmare," he said in response to the news about his daughter being held hostage by Hamas.
British journalist Piers Morgan tweeted a picture of Emily's father, Thomas, and wrote: "This poor man's interviews on Oct 7 broke my heart. But tonight Thomas Hand will be reunited with his daughter he thought had been kidnapped and killed by Hamas. The news that Emily, 9, is about to be back with her dad is just wonderful. I'm so happy for him."
But not all reactions to her release were happy.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar posted on X (formerly Twitter) an unbelievably misleading message:
"This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family. An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered."
Varadkar removed the ability to comment on the post.
Kan.org.il is the Hebrew news website of the The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation
