Keir Starmer spoke to freed hostage Emily Damari, family says
The Prime Minister spoke with Ms Damari and her mother Mandy, according to a statement released on Friday.
Sir Keir Starmer spoke with freed British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari on Friday, a spokesperson for her family has said.
The Prime Minister spoke with Ms Damari and her mother, Mandy, over the phone according to a statement released on Friday.
Ms Damari, 28, was released earlier in January following the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas after more than 15 months in captivity.
Ms Damari was taken from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on the morning of Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 2023 and shot in the hand, “blindfolded and forced into her own car with two other friends”, her family said previously.
According to Friday’s statement, Ms and Mrs Damari spoke with the Prime Minister about Emily’s condition following her time being held hostage, and about the conditions while she was in captivity.
Mrs Damari has said that her daughter was held by Hamas in facilities belonging to the UN refugee agency UNWRA and “denied her access to medical treatment”.
The pair also urged Sir Keir to exert pressure to ensure that the Red Cross have access to hostages still being held in Gaza.
The mother and daughter thanked the Prime Minister for the Government’s help help in bringing Ms Damari home, and Sir Keir invited the 28-year-old to visit Downing Street when she has recovered, the statement said.
Ms Damari was released on January 19, and was one of the first three hostages to be freed when the ceasefire deal was struck.
Two other hostages: Romi Gonen, 24; and Doron Steinbrecher, 31; were also freed.
At the time, Sir Keir said that her release was “wonderful and long-overdue news”.
Earlier in January, he said in a statement: “The release of three hostages today is wonderful and long-overdue news after months of agony for them and their families.
“Among them is British citizen Emily Damari, who will now be reunited with her family, including her mother Amanda who has never stopped her tireless fight to bring her daughter home.
“I wish them all the very best as they begin the road to recovery after the intolerable trauma they have experienced. We stand ready to offer assistance and support.”
He also called for the release of the remaining hostages.
Overall, 33 hostages are set to be released during this first stage of the ceasefire deal.
On Thursday, Hamas released eight hostages in exchange for 110 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
