{"id":121888,"date":"2023-11-28T20:59:18","date_gmt":"2023-11-28T20:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uklevitrasupport.com\/?p=121888"},"modified":"2023-11-28T20:59:18","modified_gmt":"2023-11-28T20:59:18","slug":"freed-hamas-hostage-emily-hand-9-fled-between-houses-to-dodge-idf-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uklevitrasupport.com\/world-news\/freed-hamas-hostage-emily-hand-9-fled-between-houses-to-dodge-idf-strikes\/","title":{"rendered":"Freed Hamas hostage Emily Hand, 9, ‘fled between houses to dodge IDF strikes’"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

The dad of Irish Israeli girl Emily Hand says she survived nearly two months as a Hamas hostage by darting between houses in Gaza to dodge falling missiles.<\/p>\n

Thomas Hand, 63, says the chilling effects of her abduction are clear, as she now speaks in a whisper due to being conditioned not to make noise under the terrorists\u2019 watch.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s a very determined little girl, very strong, I knew that her spirit would get her through it,\u201d Mr Hand told CNN of Emily, 9.<\/p>\n

She was released on Saturday as part of the second day of the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas.<\/p>\n

Thomas says his daughter was forced to run from house to house with her captors as Israeli forces pounded Gaza.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s terrifying. Being pulled, dragged, pushed \u2026 under gunfire probably,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Emily told him that \u201c\u2018nobody hit us\u201d during the 50 days she spent in captivity, but that children were only able to draw and play cards, and were warned not to make any noise.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most shocking, disturbing part of meeting her was she was just whispering, you couldn\u2019t hear her.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to put my ear on her lips. She\u2019d been conditioned not to make any noise \u2026 You could just see glassy-eyed terror,\u201d Thomas said.<\/p>\n

When Emily was asked how long she thought she had been gone she replied \u201ca year,\u201d her dad said.<\/p>\n

\u201cApart from the whispering, that was a punch in the guts. A year,\u201d said Thomas told the outlet.<\/p>\n

Emily was released alongside her friend Hila Rotem-Shoshani.<\/p>\n

The pair had been held with Hila\u2019s mother, Raaya, who is thought to still be trapped in the Gaza Strip.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Raaya] looked after them like her own two kids\u201d until they were split up two days before the girls were released, Thomas said.<\/p>\n

Thomas Hand was initially told that Emily, who had been staying over at Hila\u2019s house in Kibbutz Be\u2019eri when Hamas unleashed a wave of terrorist attacks on October 7, had been killed.<\/p>\n

His heartbreaking reaction last month that his daughter dying and being spared further pain was the \u201cbest possibility\u201d sparked international headlines.<\/p>\n

But several weeks later, Thomas learned that his daughter hadn\u2019t been identified among the remains at Be\u2019eri and that she was now believed to be among the hostages being held in Gaza.<\/p>\n

The pair were finally reunited on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll of a sudden the door opened up and she just ran. It was beautiful, just like I had imagined it, running together. I probably squeezed her too hard,\u201d he told CNN.<\/p>\n

DON’T MISS: <\/strong>
Putin faces existential blow as Russia ‘pays heavy price’ for encircling Ukraine[INTERVIEW] <\/strong>
Insane firefight between Russian and Ukrainian troops captured on video[VIDEO] <\/strong>
Fresh epidemic fears as child pneumonia cases surge after China outbreak[LATEST] <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But the family\u2019s attention quickly turned to the effect two months of captivity had had on Emily.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was only when she stepped back that I could see her face was chiseled, like mine, whereas before it was chubby, girly, a young kid face,\u201d Thomas said of his daughter, who returned with a head full of lice.<\/p>\n

He said Emily and Hila are now looking out for one another as they readjust to normal life.<\/p>\n

They held a celebration for Hila\u2019s 13th birthday with a cake at the hospital on Monday and also had a cake for a belated ninth birthday celebration for Emily, after spending Nov. 17 imprisoned in Gaza.<\/p>\n

Thomas explained that Emily\u2019s mother died when she was just two, and on her return was also faced with the loss of her \u201csecond mom,\u201d Hand\u2019s former wife, Narkis Hand.<\/p>\n

Narkis was tragically killed by Hamas militants in Kibbutz Be\u2019eri.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was very hard. We told her and her little eyes glazed over and she took a sharp intake of breath,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n