Dublin, Ireland: In a significant development, a nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl named Emily Hand has been released by Hamas fighters. Ireland’s Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, expressed immense joy and relief at the news. He stated, “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.”
Emily was among the approximately 240 individuals who were abducted by Hamas gunmen after they breached Gaza’s heavily fortified border with Israel on October 7. Israeli authorities reported that during the attack, around 1,200 Israelis and foreigners were killed. In response, Israel launched a comprehensive offensive involving air strikes, artillery attacks, naval bombardments, and ground operations, resulting in the deaths of nearly 15,000 people, primarily civilians. The Hamas government in Gaza claimed that thousands of children were among the casualties.
Hamas, on Saturday, released a second group of Israeli and foreign hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Thirteen Israelis and four Thai citizens were among those who returned to Israel.
Emily, who turned nine while in captivity, had been feared dead by her father, Thomas Hand, who initially believed she had been killed in the attack. However, an eyewitness later confirmed that Emily had been taken away by the terrorists and transported to Gaza in a van after the assault on the Beeri kibbutz.
Expressing his hopes for Emily’s recovery, Varadkar said, “I hope Emily will soon heal and recover from the traumatic experience in the loving embrace of her family.” He also emphasized that there are still numerous hostages remaining in captivity in Gaza, and their fate is uncertain. Varadkar expressed his wish for their safe return to their homes and families, similar to Emily’s fortunate outcome.
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