‘I’m the happiest in the world’: Freed Israeli hostage

‘I’m the happiest in the world’: Freed Israeli hostage

TEL AVIV
‘I’m the happiest in the world’: Freed Israeli hostage

This handout picture released by the Israeli army shows former Israeli hostage Emily Damari with her mother Amanda at an undisclosed location in Israel on Jan. 19, 2025 after a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange deal in the war between Israel and Hamas was implemented.

One of the Israeli hostages freed on the first day of the Gaza ceasefire said on Monday in her first comments since being released that she has “returned to life.”

Emily Damari, 28, was one of three hostages freed on Jan. 19 after spending 471 days in captivity.

Officials at a hospital that received them said their condition was stable, adding that it will take a few more days to complete all the needed examinations.

In an Instagram story, Damari thanked her family and the large protest movement that coalesced to advocate for the release of the hostages. “Thank you thank you thank you I’m the happiest in the world,” she said.

The dual Israeli-British citizen Damari, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher were the first among 33 Israeli hostages who are meant to be released in the coming six weeks.

Applause erupted among the thousands who gathered to watch the poignant scenes on large screens at Hostages Square, the Tel Aviv plaza where families and supporters of hostages have been protesting weekly to demand a ceasefire deal.

In videos released by the Israeli government, the women were seen weeping and hugging their family members. Damari raised her bandaged hand in triumph.

Throughout the war, there has been only one other pause in the fighting, a week-long truce in November 2023 that also saw the exchange of hostages for prisoners.

Amir Blumenfeld, a former chief of the Trauma branch of the Israeli army, said hostages released during that truce in 2023 had suffered serious health issues.

"This time, after [more than 470 days of detention], it's going to be horrible," he said, predicting drastic weight loss of up to "half or a third" of original body weight.

"The most difficult problem will be mental health.”

Under Health Ministry guidelines, the newly released hostages will be hospitalized for at least four days, with women undergoing pregnancy tests and psychiatric care being made available immediately.

Iris Gavrieli Rahabi, part of First Line Med (FLM), a collective of 450 psychoanalysts supporting survivors of Hamas’ attack and their families, expressed concern.

"The fear is that some of the hostages will be in a situation of total psychological collapse and that they will return in a critical condition," Rahabi said.