Irish-Israeli citizen Emily Hand, initially thought dead, released by Hamas; turned 9 in captivity

Emily Hand, the Irish-Israeli girl thought killed in the Hamas attacks on Israel, was among 13 hostages held in Gaza who were released Saturday, a week after she spent her ninth birthday in captivity.

“I am delighted that Emily Hand — a bright and beautiful young girl — has been released and will be reunited with her family,” Micheál Martin, Ireland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense, said in a statement.

“After weeks of trauma, this is a precious and deeply moving moment for the Hand family. The people of Ireland have been touched by Emily’s story, her innocence and the quiet dignity and determination of her father, Tom.”

Leaders of Kibbutz Be’eri had told the girl’s family just days after the Oct. 7 attack that Emily, who had been spending the night at a friend’s house, was among the dead. Her father, Thomas Hand, 63, initially felt a measure of comfort, amid shock and grief, that she was not terrified and suffering.

“I was sort of relieved because I’d rather that than have her taken hostage,” he recalled thinking at the time. “The way they told me was, Emily has been found. She was found in the kibbutz, and she’d been found dead. I’ll never forget those three statements.”

Then on Oct. 31 the Israeli military told him that no trace of Emily had been recovered at Kibbutz Be’eri — no blood, remains or DNA — in either the bomb shelter she would have been in, or at the house where she’d had her sleepover. This gave them reason to believe that she was one of the hostages and was in fact alive.

“I had to shift my whole brain and digest this new information,” said Hand, whose daughter turned 9 on Nov. 17. “She won’t even know it’s her birthday. She won’t know what day it is. Can you imagine the fear?”

When Emily was 2½ , her mother, Liat Korenberg, died of breast cancer.

The hostage release was delayed as Hamas accused Israel of reneging on some of the cease-fire terms — but the dispute was resolved with aid from Egyptian and Quatari mediators. The exchange included 39 Palestinian prisoners and a flow of aid to Gaza.

“This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said of Emily’s release. “An innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned, and we breathe a massive sigh of relief. Our prayers have been answered.”

With News Wire Services