Former Hostage Emily Damari Condemns October 7 Denial, Honors British Allies Ahead of Anniversary

As the third anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre approached, former hostage Emily Damari publicly challenged British citizens who deny, distort, or ignore the atrocities of that day.

“It was not an accident,” Damari said in a video released on Monday. “It was a planned terrorist attack, in which innocent people were murdered, raped, injured, and kidnapped from their homes and from a music festival.”

Damari also decried the surging antisemitism facing Jewish communities globally, including in the United Kingdom, in the wake of October 7.

In the video, the ex-hostage wore a piece of tape inscribed with “Choocha,” the name of her dog, which was killed by Hamas terrorists on the day of her abduction.

Damari also thanked those who had stood alongside Israel after October 7, including members of the British parliament who had raised their voices in support.

Former Gaza hostage Emily Damari speaks to the British public in a video released on October 5, 2026. (Credit: Emily Damari)

“To everyone who fought for my freedom and for the freedom of all the hostages: Thank you. Your voices matter, your support matters, to me, to my family, and to many families in Israel. It meant more than you will ever know.”

She ended the video with a plea to the public to continue standing against terrorism and antisemitism, concluding by saying “Am Yisrael chai.”

Damari shares unreleased photos of captivity

Damari shared previously unreleased photos from her time as a hostage on Instagram on Saturday, marking three years since her abduction on the Hebrew calendar.

“Three years ago at this time on Simchat Torah I was deep, deep in the Gaza Strip,” Damari wrote in her post.

She described her experience at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, seen in the pictures she posted shortly after her abduction, where she was treated for a gunshot wound in her hand and a shrapnel injury in her leg. Ultimately, Damari had two fingers amputated. She also had additional surgery on her hand after her release in early 2025.

Damari marries partner in Tel Aviv wedding celebration

In August, Damari married her partner, Israeli food influencer Danielle “Dani” Amit, in a wedding celebration in Tel Aviv.

The couple had gotten engaged in January 2026, one year after Damari was released from Hamas captivity.

“For 471 days, she was held in captivity,” Damari’s mother, Mandy, said during the celebration. “And during those endless days and nights, there were moments when the thought of standing here tonight, seeing my daughter alive, safe, happy, and standing beside the person she loves, would have been impossible to imagine.”

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.

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