Watch | Nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl once thought to be killed by Hamas reunites with family

A nine-year-old Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand who was held captive by Hamas in Gaza following the attacks by the Palestinian group on Israel on October 7, was among the second group of hostages released from Gaza, on Sunday (Nov 26). 

Emily Hand was released with the second batch of hostages which included 13 Israelis and four Thai Nationals after the first group was released on Friday (Nov 24). She was among seven children ranging from three to 16. 

In a video posted on YouTube by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Emily can be seen meeting her father Tom for the first time in 50 days. The clip also shows 13-year-old Hila Rotem being welcomed and embraced by her uncle.

Hand’s family said they “can’t find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days”. 

It added, “We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem (Hila’s mother) and all the hostages who have yet to return. We will persist in doing everything in our power to bring them back home”. 

Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy slammed Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar over a statement he posted about Emily. Announcing the nine-year-old’s release from Hamas captivity, Varadkar took to X and said “This is a day of enormous joy and relief for Emily Hand and her family.” 

“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,” he added. 

In response to the post, Levy told the Irish PM that Hand wasn’t “lost” but had been “brutally abducted by the death squads that massacred her neighbours”. 

He also said the way that Varadkar described Emily’s abduction was “how you describe a little girl who went missing during a stroll in a forest, then gets discovered by a friendly hiker.”

In a subsequent post, the Israeli government spokesperson along with an image of a “Lost and Found Box” said, “No wonder the Irish government opposes Israel’s military pressure on Hamas to release innocent hostages. It thought Emily Hand was hiding here.”

While the Irish PM had previously supported Israel’s right to defend itself he has recently expressed concern about Israel’s constant bombardment and ground operation in Gaza and said that it amounts to “collective punishment” and “something more approaching revenge”.

Emily was eight years old when she was abducted by Hamas following the October 7 attacks on southern Israel and was initially believed to be killed by the Palestinian militant group. She celebrated her birthday in captivity on October 17. 

“The sad thing about it is, she won’t even know what day it is. She won’t know whether it’s night or day. She won’t even though it’s her birthday,” Emily’s father Tom Hand told CBS News two days before his daughter’s birthday. 

The nine-year-old had been at a sleepover at a friend’s house in Kibbutz Be’eri when the massacre by Hamas took place. According to Israeli officials, more than 100 people were killed in that community alone. 

Her father Thomas, who was born in Ireland and later moved to Israel, told AFP earlier this month that initially he thought his daughter had been killed in the attack. 

“Later on we had an eyewitness…(who) saw her being led away by the terrorists, into a van off to Gaza” he told the news agency. 

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.