It has been 471 days since Emily Damari was shot in the hand and dragged into Gaza from her home in southern Israel.
The British-Israeli national was also injured by shrapnel and saw her dog Choocha shot and killed on October 7.
She has now been named by Hamas as one of the first hostages it plans to release as part of the long-awaited ceasefire deal agreed by Israel.
After revealing that Emily was among the first hostages to be released, a source close to the Damari family said it had been “471 torturous days but an especially torturous 24 hours”.
“All Emily's mother, Mandy, wants to do is kiss Emily. But she won't believe it until she sees it,” said the source.
They said: “Until she's out and Mandy sees she's out. It's not done until it's done. It's not done until it's done. And we've got a long road ahead of us.
“They don't know the situation they're in and there are other hostages who need to be released and who need to be kept alive by humanitarian aid. It's a long, long road before us.”
Mandy Damari has not heard from her daughter since October 7, 2023 (PA Media)
For Mandy Damari the last 15 months have been terrible.
On Friday, Mrs. Damari lit the Shabbat candles to mark the beginning of the Jewish Sabbath.
Behind the candle is a picture of her daughter with a British flag next to the picture.
Her prayers: that this would be the last Shabbat Emily would be held hostage.
All over the world, especially in British homes, candles were lit on Friday night with pictures of Emily or other guests with them with prayers for her release.
In an interview with BBC News last month, Mrs Damari explained how other hosts released in November 2023 had seen 28-year-old Emily.
“Some of them had met her in captivity. One family at the beginning and one family at the end. And she told me she was fine, basically, except for the gunshot wounds. ,” she said.
“She was very brave there, and she expected that she was going to come home. She expected that she was going to be released during that break, because the women were supposed to be were released afterwards. And someone said, “Do you want me? have something for you?' And she said 'No, no, I'm going back tomorrow.' And then she wasn't.”
Her family was informed in March 2024 that she was still alive but received no information about her condition. Until Sunday, there had been nothing.
Emily's family were told in March 2024 that she was still alive (PA Media)
In December, Mrs Damari told the BBC how worried she was about her daughter's circumstances.
“She could be starving or dehydrated or suffering from asthma because you can't breathe in the tunnels,” she said.
“If she's alone, even if no one touches her, she's still suffering mental and physical pain all the time, just because she's in a really horrible tunnel, and I'm worried every day, I worry every second because in the next one. either she could be killed.”
Mrs. Damari has been dignified and determined. She never wanted the limelight but she has traveled the world and appeared at rallies and met with politicians to campaign for her daughter's release.
At first Mrs. Damari did not speak publicly about her daughter because she said she trusted the governments and negotiators to release her.
But she went on to feel sorry for the British government and the failure of the international community to get her daughter released sooner, to get her any humanitarian aid, or to be able to get her -whether her daughter was even still alive.
The two mother and daughter were in their separate homes on Kibbutz Kfar Aza when Hamas gunmen attacked on the morning of October 7, 2023.
As Mandy hid in the safe room she was saved as a bullet hit the handle making it impossible for the attackers to open the door.
Meanwhile, Emily was being dragged out to Gaza.
Emily's poster was hung at a Tottenham Hotspur match in November 2024 (Reuters)
Emily has strong ties to the UK. She is a fan of Tottenham Hotspur and would often visit Britain to see her relatives, go to concerts, go shopping and visit the pub here.
Fans at Spurs games have released yellow balloons and chanted for his release.
She has also lost precious moments. When she is released, Emily discovers that her British grandfather, whom she used to visit regularly, died while she was in captivity.
Mrs Damari said: “My husband has Alzheimer's and she always makes sure I'm ok and he's ok and she visits him in his care home. She is the heart of our family and the heart is missing. It's like a piece of my family. the heart is not there.”
October 7 was the last time Mandy Damari heard from her daughter.
As their kibbutz was attacked, Emily sent a text message containing a single heart emoji.
Now Damari's family is hoping their hearts will heal.
They still mourn the many neighbors and friends who were murdered and demand that all the enemies be released.
But they hope to do this with Emily back with them, after a brutal separation.
They just want her home.
“I love her to the moon and back, she's a special person,” Mrs Damari said.
“It sounds like a cliche, but she's the best girl I could ask for.
