Emily Damari reveals wounded hand after 470 days in Hamas captivity & her ‘rock on’ gesture becomes freedom symbol
BRAVE Emily Damari has displayed her hand in a “rock on” gesture of strength and solidarity after it was wounded by Hamas terrorists in the October 7 slaughter.
Pictured next to her British mum Mandy, the pair were reunited after 471 days last week when Emily and two other hostages were finally freed from captivity in Gaza.
In exchange, some 90 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli prisons as part of an ongoing but fragile ceasefire deal.
Emily smiled next to Surrey-born mum Mandy in the hopeful pic taken on Tuesday as she brandished her now-healed hand.
The 28-year-old lost two fingers when she was shot on October 7, as Hamas militants kidnapped her from the brutalised Kfar Aza kibbutz.
Mandy previously revealed how her daughter was “shot in the hand, injured by shrapnel in her leg, blindfolded, and bundled into the back of her own car”.
Spurs fan Emily was among the first captives to be freed from a list of 33 due to be released over the coming weeks.
Dramatic footage showed her surrounded by masked gun-toting terrorists as she got out of the van alongside fellow Israeli captives Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31.
Soon after pictures taken of Emily with her loved ones showed her waving her hand in the “rock on” gesture that has become a symbol of solidarity for many Israelis.
Some have even had it tattooed in tribute to the brave young woman.
After her release Emily said: “I’m loving, loving, loving. Thanks be to G-d. Thanks to my family, to Oreli, to the best friends I have in this world. I have returned to life, my loved ones.
“I have managed to see just a tiny bit of everything, and you have shattered my heart from emotion. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am the happiest person in the world, just to be.”
A delighted Mandy said: “Thank you to everyone in the UK and around the world who supported the campaign to bring Emily home, and for all your messages here on X.
“You are amazing and we love you all.”
But she added: “In this incredibly happy moment for our family, we must also remember that 94 other hostages still remain.
“The ceasefire must continue and every last hostage must be returned to their families.”
It comes as Israeli forces launched a “large-scale and significant” military operation into the occupied West Bank as part of a new “Iron Wall” offensive late on Monday.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) invaded the city of Jenin as part of a mission expected to last at least several days with the involvement of Israeli soldiers, police and intelligence services.
Shortly after suspected Jewish settlers stormed Palestinian villages, setting cars and property ablaze, new US President Donald Trump axed sanctions against Israelis accused of violence in the territory.
At least 10 people were killed and 40 injured yesterday, local health authorities report.
Meanwhile senior Hamas terrorist Mousa Abu Marzouk told The New York Times that the group is ready to talk with the US about the raging war in Gaza.
He said: “We’re prepared for a dialogue with America and achieving understandings on everything.”
What happened on October 7?
BY Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter
On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists stormed the border between Gaza and Israel, slaughtering over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals.
They kidnapped some 250 more, with many of them since killed in captivity and some released as part of ongoing negotiations with Israel.
In the 15 months since, Israel has almost completely destroyed the Gaza strip in an effort to eradicate Hamas and bring home its trapped people.
Amid international cries for peace, Israeli PM Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed not to stop until Hamas is destroyed.
As of January 2025 at least 47,000 people inside Gaza have been killed – according to figures shared by local health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave and published by the United Nations.
No international bodies have been allowed into the Strip to formally verify the numbers and Israel has not given a death toll for civilians killed.
The IDF claims to have taken out some 20,000 Hamas terrorists during the war.
Over 1,700 Israelis have died in the conflict including civilians and soldiers – and counting the atrocities of October 7.
The war has sparked involvement from Hamas backer Iran – with high-profile assassinations carried out by Israeli spies inside the country sparking fears of further conflict.
Israel has also been locked in a fierce tit-for-tat battle with Hezbollah across the Lebanese border – leading to the death and displacement of both Lebanese and Israeli people.