One of the Israeli hostages freed on the first day of the Gaza ceasefire said Monday in her first comments since being released that she has “returned to life.”
Emily Damari, 28, was one of three hostages freed Sunday after spending 471 days in captivity. Officials at a hospital that received them said their condition was stable.
In an Instagram story, which was shared by Israeli media, Damari thanked her family and the large protest movement that coalesced to advocate for the release of the hostages. “Thank you, thank you, thank you … I’m the happiest in the world,” she said.
Damari, a dual Israeli-British citizen, returned from captivity with a bandage on one hand and authorities said she had lost two fingers during the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023. As she arrived to a hospital on Sunday she waved at a crowd that had gathered and footage later showed her joyfully reuniting with her family.
Her mother, Mandy Damari, said in a statement later Monday that Damari was “doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated.”
The three Israeli hostages left Hamas captivity on Sunday and returned to Israel, and dozens of Palestinian prisoners walked free from Israeli jail, leaving both Israelis and Palestinians torn between celebration and trepidation as the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold.
In their first public comments since reuniting with their loved ones, relatives of the three Israeli women freed from captivity in Gaza thanked those who made their release possible.
They also pleaded to the Israeli government to carry out the phased ceasefire deal that led to their loved ones’ release, and warned their road to recovery could be long.
“Doron asked me to convey this message,” said Yamit Ashkenazi, sister of released hostage Doron Steinbrecher, in a statement to the press at the hospital where the women are still undergoing medical evaluations. “Go out into the streets. We must carry out all the steps of the deal. Just as I was able to return to my family, everyone should return.”
The families all expressed gratitude to the Israeli soldiers who fought in Gaza, including those who died. They also thanked those who pushed for the release of the hostages, including international mediators and Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who took office on Monday in Washington.
Among other Biden-era executive orders that Trump rescinded Monday is one that authorizes sanctions on people who undermine peace in the West Bank.
Trump said Hamas is weakened, but he’s hardly certain that the temporary truce between Israel and Hamas will hold.
“I’m not confident,” Trump told reporters. “That’s not our war. It’s their war.”
He said that his administration “might” help rebuild Gaza, which he compared to a “massive demolition site.”
“Some beautiful things could be done with it,” said Trump, the real estate developer turned commander in chief, noting the territory’s coastline and “phenomenal” weather and location. “Some fantastic things could be done with Gaza. Some beautiful things could be done with Gaza.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s finance minister has threatened to topple Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition if he doesn’t resume the war in Gaza after the first phase of the ceasefire agreement expires in six weeks.
Bezalel Smotrich made the threat Monday, a day after the ceasefire went into effect.
“If, God forbid, the war is not resumed, I will bring the government down,” Smotrich told reporters.
Smotrich voted against the deal but has remained in the governing coalition for the time being. His departure would rob Netanyahu of his parliamentary majority, setting the stage for the government’s collapse and early elections.
Smotrich said he has received assurances that Israel will resume the war after the first phase. The second phase, which must still be negotiated, is to work out an end to the war and return of all remaining hostages.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has already resigned over the ceasefire agreement.
