Emily Hand, 9, was broken & nearly mute after 50 horror days as a Hamas hostage – now dad reveals ‘she is smiling again’
WHEN she ran into her dad’s open arms after 50 days of hostage hell in Gaza, nine-year-old Emily Hand was traumatised and broken.
The wide-eyed waif’s weight had crashed, her clothes and hair were matted and filthy and she was unable to speak in more than a whisper.
Her father Tom – who earlier had told the world his little girl was better off dead than in the clutches of Hamas savages – fought back his tears knowing he had to stay strong.
But today – on the first anniversary of the Hamas horror which rocked the world – the brave little girl who came back from the dead is busy rebuilding her life.
And her family’s story shines a rare ray of hope as war-torn Israel struggles to emerge from a year of darkness and despair.
Tom, 64, told the Sun: “Emily went through absolute hell but she’s a fighter – and she is smiling again.
“When she was released she was afraid to speak in more than a whisper because the terrorists had threatened to shoot or stab her if she made too much noise.
“But a year later she’s getting back to her old self and is as noisy and boisterous as ever – I never complain now no matter how noisy she gets!
“We have a new home in a new, safe, kibbutz further from Gaza and she’s back at school with some of her old friends and starting to enjoy life again.
“It’s awful remembering the dark times but I have to be thankful that I got her back and give her every chance to be happy and enjoy every day.
“Her recovery shows the terrorists that they will never beat her, they will never beat me, they will never beat the people of my kibbutz and they will never beat Israel.
“Hamas attacked us but they have succeeded only in making us stronger, more united and more determined.”
Dublin-born Tom – who grew up in London – travelled to Israel three decades ago to volunteer on a kibbutz near Gaza.
He had two children Aiden, 30, and Natali, 27, with wife Narkis before they split then had Emily with new partner Liat, who died of breast cancer when Emily was two.
Narkis, 52, was killed on October 7 when 400 Hamas thugs rampaged through the Be’eri kibbutz.
Emily was on a sleepover at a pal’s home when she was snatched and Tom survived by barricading himself inside a safe room for 19 hours.
Emily – who was rushed from house-to-house by Hamas fighters during gun battles with Israeli troops – turned nine while in Gaza before her release in November last year.
Tom – who has moved to a new home in the kibbutz of Hatzerim, 20 miles from Gaza – said: “Emily still gets scared of loud noises and wasn’t able to sleep alone for a long time after she came back.
“She still has nightmares but counselling has helped and things are much better now.
“She spent her last birthday in hell so I’ll be making sure she has a party to remember this year when she turns 10 on October 17.
“We’re happy now but things will never truly be the same and no one feels able to properly resume their lives until the remaining hostages in Gaza are free.
“This October 7 we’ll be remembering those who died but also those still being held.
“I feel incredibly lucky to have Emily back but our thoughts are always with the hostages.”
Families of killed and kidnapped Brits poured out their pain Sunday as they steeled themselves for poignant anniversary vigils Monday.
Moving ceremonies are planned amid a huge security operation near kibbutz villages in southern Israel where 1,200 were slaughtered and 251 kidnapped.
Traumatised survivors of the carnage will remember their loved ones in heartbreaking commemorations beginning exactly one year since the horror began at 6.29am.
Thousands will flock to the biggest vigil at the Nova Music Festival site where Hamas savages slaughtered, raped, mutilated, beheaded and burnt 364 tragic revellers.
It will be the biggest event planned to remember those who died – and pray for the safe return of the dwindling band of around 50 hostages still alive in besieged Gaza.
Dad Tom Reveals what happened to Emily
Tom revealed Emily had told him she was not – as believed – held in the labyrinth of Hamas terror tunnels dubbed the “Gaza Metro”.
But she instead faced greater danger being moved from one safe house to another at the height of Israel’s revenge blitz on the terror group’s 25-mile-long stronghold.
He said of the Hamas gunmen: “They were shouting ‘yala yala yala’ in Arabic – ‘hurry hurry hurry’ — at my terrified little girl as she ran for her life.
“They made her run from the Israeli army from house to house.
“She was constantly being moved – sometimes under fire – to stay one step ahead of the army.
“She must have been absolutely terrified – an eight-year-old girl being led by strangers from one blown-up shell of a house to the next in the middle of a war zone.”
Bristol-born Lianne Sharabi, 48, was slaughtered alongside British-Israeli daughters Noiya, 16, and Yahel, 13.
The girls’ dad Eli, 52 and uncle Yossi, 53 were dragged to Gaza but Yossi was later revealed to have been killed in captivity.
Their uncle, Sharon Sarabi, 49, told The Sun: “Lianne loved Israel but she stayed very British – she loved beer and spicy food and and had a wicked sense of humour.
“Her daughters loved to sing and dance at family gatherings and I’ll never forget how happy they all were the last time I saw them.
“We believe their father Eli is still alive in Gaza and haven’t been able to continue our lives while we cling to that hope – the hope that there won’t be a fifth coffin and a fifth funeral.
“October 7 was the day that changed our world and destroyed the life we had – I quit my job in IT to focus on campaigning to get our hostages back.
“I’ll take time to remember all the people we lost on the anniversary but my focus is now on the hostages – we must keep the hope alive.”
British mum Ayelet Svatitzky, 47, will never forget the morning of October 7 last year as terror erupted – and her worst fears were confirmed by a picture which arrived on her phone.
Ayelet was at home, miles from the horror, when a snap of her terrified brother Nadav Popplewell, 51, and mother Channah, 80 appeared captioned with the single word: “Hamas.”
The terrorists had grabbed Channah’s phone and gleefully sent her daughter a snap to parade their hostage trophies.
Ayelet’s older brother Roi Popplewell, 53, was killed in the terrorist rampage in kibbutz Nirim as her other loved ones were taken.
The mum-of-three, whose grandfather was former British Army soldier Ron Popplewell from Wakefield, West Yorks, said: “My blood ran cold when I realised what was happening to my family.
“It’s a year since it happened but it still haunts me – and it always will.
“They took them away, slung across motorcycles, and my elderly mum was surrounded by mobs tearing at her limbs as she was paraded through the streets of Gaza.
“She was released in the ceasefire deal but in June Hamas claimed Nadav had been killed by an IDF strike in June, which was finally confirmed in August.
“It’s been the worst year of my life but I feel lucky that my mum came home and I have been able to bury my brothers – and that, at least, their suffering is over.
“It’s affected me badly – I only wear black clothes now – and feel guilty whenever I find myself enjoying moments of my life, knowing that hostages are still trapped in hell.
“We need them to be free so everyone can start living their lives and learn to be happy again.”