Released hostage Emily Damari says she is “the happiest person in the world” following her release from Hamas captivity yesterday, 15 months after she was abducted from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.
“Love, love, love,” Damari writes in a post on Instagram. “I have returned to my beloved life.”
She thanks her family and friends for their support, and says that the outpouring of love she has been shown has caused her heart “to explode with excitement.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m the happiest in the world just to be.”
She signs her post with the “rock on” emoji, using it to symbolize her two missing fingers, which she lost on the day of her abduction after she was shot in the hand by Hamas terrorists.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 20, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
