Emily Damari was released on Sunday (Image: GETTY)
Freed British-Israeli captive Emily Damari thanked God for sparing her life as she tasted her first full day of freedom.
The Hamas hostage was released on Sunday after 471 days and sobbed as she hugged and held her mother Mandy who feared she would never see her daughter again.
And today Emily, 28, took to to thank those who worked around-the-clock so she could return to her “beloved life”.
In a gushing post she said: “I’m loving, loving, loving. Thanks be to God. Thanks to my family, to the best friends I have in this world. I have returned to life, my loved ones.
“I have only managed to see just a tiny bit of everything, and you have exploded my heart from emotion. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am the happiest person in the world, just to be.”
The outpouring of pent-up emotion followed a day of intense drama during which British-Israeli Emily, kidnapped by Hamas during its massacre on October 7, 2023, was freed alongside fellow captives Doron Steinbrecher, 31, and Romi Gonen, 24.
Emily was held in the terror cell’s network of subterranean, cramped tunnels deep inside Gaza after being grabbed by balaclava-clad and gun-toting jihadists from Kibbutz Kfar Aza and bundled over the border. Her golden cockapoo Choocha was shot dead during the bloody-thirsty rampage which left her with a gunshot wound to the hand and leg.
She signed off her post with an emoji showing a hand, a reference to photographs of her release which showed her heavily bandaged left hand and two fingers missing.
After 15-months of fighting mediators have brokered a deal between sworn enemies Hamas and Israel (Image: Getty)
Little is known of the ordeal she faced as a 15-month captive at the hands of the brutal Iran-backed terror group. But family friend Emily Cohen shed light on the barbaric imprisonment and the conditions hostages were held in, saying: “They were above ground, below ground, in tunnels, in houses.”
Ms Cohen said: “Physically, she seems to be okay. Obviously, the hand injury is very significant. There was absolutely no care or treatment.
“She is doing really, really well. Emily is just a feisty, lioness fighter, all the way through, maintaining her incredible sense of humour and beautiful spirit.”
Emily was snatched from her home near the Gaza border and hope was fading until she was dramatically released as part of a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal between Hamas and .
The extraordinary reunion with her Surrey-born nursery teacher mum was the realisation of a promise made during their darkest hours.
Mandy, 64, grew up in Beckenham, Kent, before visiting in her 20s where she he met Emily’s father.
At the time of her capture she said: “It is breaking my heart a little more, day by day. Soon there will be nothing left of my heart – or Emily.”
She added: “Please keep strong, keep praying and just be your beautiful self that I love to the moon and back. You will come home. And I promise that I’ll never complain again about your perfume sticking to me when you’re home. Love you so much, your Mum (who is always right!).”
Today she said: “On Sunday, I was finally able to give Emily the hug that I have been dreaming of.
“From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank the many people who have played a role in bringing Emily home and given their support to me and my family. As I said over the course of the campaign, you are all Emily’s family.
“I am relieved to report that, after her release, Emily is doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated. I am also happy that during her release the world was given a glimpse of her feisty and charismatic personality.
“In Emily’s own words, she is the happiest girl in the world; she has her life back.
“In this incredibly happy moment for our family, we must also remember that 94 other hostages still remain. The ceasefire must continue and every last hostage must be returned to their families.
“As wonderful as it is to see Emily’s resilience, these are still early days. As you will have seen, Emily lost two of the fingers on her left hand.
“She now needs time with her loved ones and her doctors as she begins her road to recovery.”
Israel has released 90 captives held after the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023 (Image: Getty)
The ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement was struck by mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt and has seen a pause in fighting and the release of hostages taken after the Hamas raid on southern and the exchange of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
The multi-stage deal will also see a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from parts of Gaza and the stepping up of humanitarian aid into the war-ravaged territory.
has returned 90 Palestinian prisoners, many of whom will return to Gaza which has been razed to the ground.
The enclave, home to 2.3 million people, has seen 69% of buildings damaged, according to UN estimates.
The near constant bombardment by Israeli forces has left the Gaza Strip reduced to 42 million tonnes of rubble, enough to fill Wembley Stadium 180 times.