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| UK-Israeli hostage has been forgotten, says mum | UK-Israeli hostage has been forgotten, says mum |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Emily Damari loves to watch Tottenham play, her mother said | Emily Damari loves to watch Tottenham play, her mother said |
| The mother of the only British-Israeli hostage still being held by Hamas in Gaza has asked why the UK is not "fighting every moment to secure her release". | The mother of the only British-Israeli hostage still being held by Hamas in Gaza has asked why the UK is not "fighting every moment to secure her release". |
| Emily Damari, 28, was shot and taken from an Israeli kibbutz across the border into Gaza on 7 October. | Emily Damari, 28, was shot and taken from an Israeli kibbutz across the border into Gaza on 7 October. |
| Speaking at a London memorial event marking the attacks a year ago, her mother Mandy Damari said her daughter's "plight seems to have been forgotten". | Speaking at a London memorial event marking the attacks a year ago, her mother Mandy Damari said her daughter's "plight seems to have been forgotten". |
| The dual-national is among 97 hostages who remain unaccounted for. | The dual-national is among 97 hostages who remain unaccounted for. |
| Speaking at the Hyde Park memorial event, Mandy said: "[Emily] is a daughter of both countries, but no one here mentions the fact that there is still a female British hostage being held captive by Hamas for a year now, and I sometimes wonder if people even know there is a British woman there. | |
| "Imagine, for a moment if Emily was your daughter. Try to picture what she is going through. | "Imagine, for a moment if Emily was your daughter. Try to picture what she is going through. |
| "Since 7 October last year, she has been held a hostage by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza terror tunnels, 20 metres or more underground, kept in captivity, tortured, isolated, unable to eat, speak or even move without someone else's permission.” | "Since 7 October last year, she has been held a hostage by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza terror tunnels, 20 metres or more underground, kept in captivity, tortured, isolated, unable to eat, speak or even move without someone else's permission.” |
| The crowd heard how Emily, who was born to her British mother in Israel and lived there, loved to visit the UK - her "second home across the sea". She loved watching Spurs play, going to the pub, shopping at Primark and had also watched Ed Sheeran in concert, her mother said. | The crowd heard how Emily, who was born to her British mother in Israel and lived there, loved to visit the UK - her "second home across the sea". She loved watching Spurs play, going to the pub, shopping at Primark and had also watched Ed Sheeran in concert, her mother said. |
| Mandy pleaded with Britain and other countries to do more to secure the release of her daughter, and the other hostages. | Mandy pleaded with Britain and other countries to do more to secure the release of her daughter, and the other hostages. |
| “How is it that she is still imprisoned there after one year? Why isn't the whole world, especially Britain, fighting every moment to secure her release? She's one of their own.” | “How is it that she is still imprisoned there after one year? Why isn't the whole world, especially Britain, fighting every moment to secure her release? She's one of their own.” |
| Mandy Damari: ''I need to hug her again'' | Mandy Damari: ''I need to hug her again'' |
| She said some of the women and children who were released in the hostage deal in November told her Emily was alive then, and spoke about how she helped the other hostages try to stay positive, even in the worst of times. | She said some of the women and children who were released in the hostage deal in November told her Emily was alive then, and spoke about how she helped the other hostages try to stay positive, even in the worst of times. |
| “Every day is living hell not knowing what Emily is going through. I do know from the hostages that returned that they were starved, sexually abused and tortured. Every moment lost is another moment of unimaginable suffering or even death.” | “Every day is living hell not knowing what Emily is going through. I do know from the hostages that returned that they were starved, sexually abused and tortured. Every moment lost is another moment of unimaginable suffering or even death.” |
| BBC News has approached the UK Foreign Office for comment. | BBC News has approached the UK Foreign Office for comment. |
| Other hostages with British relatives held include Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifschitz and Avinatan Or. British-Israeli Nadav Popplewell was also kidnapped on 7 October and his body was recovered by Israeli soldiers in Gaza in August. | Other hostages with British relatives held include Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifschitz and Avinatan Or. British-Israeli Nadav Popplewell was also kidnapped on 7 October and his body was recovered by Israeli soldiers in Gaza in August. |
| Families of Israeli hostages met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday, calling on them to "do more" to bring them home. | Families of Israeli hostages met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday, calling on them to "do more" to bring them home. |
| Sir Keir agreed that the hostages must be freed and returned immediately, a subsequent press conference was told. | Sir Keir agreed that the hostages must be freed and returned immediately, a subsequent press conference was told. |
| Memorial attendees held up pictures of hostages during the event | Memorial attendees held up pictures of hostages during the event |
| The Hyde Park event, organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and other groups, was attended by thousands of British Jews and supporters of Israel who waved British and Israeli flags with chants of "bring them home". | |
| Among the crowd, many of whom have family and friends in Israel, there was disbelief that the hostages still have not been freed, one year on. | |
| Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely told the crowd: "We will do whatever we can to bring them home." | Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely told the crowd: "We will do whatever we can to bring them home." |
| Michael Wegier, chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, told BBC News: "The British Jewish community is traumatised like much of the Jewish community around the world, especially in Israel. | |
| "There are 30,000 Jews from Britain who live in Israel. Many of us have friends and family there and we go there, and so we take what happens there very deeply and very personally." | |
| Meanwhile, on Saturday tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors marched through central London calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. | |
| Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October by Hamas gunmen, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. | Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October by Hamas gunmen, during which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage. |
| At least 41,870 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. | At least 41,870 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. |