British-Israeli hostage has been 'forgotten', says mum

The parent of the lone British-Israeli hostage inactive being held by Hamas successful Gaza has asked wherefore the UK is not "fighting each infinitesimal to unafraid her release".

Emily Damari, 28, has been held since 7 October erstwhile she was changeable and taken from her Israeli location crossed the borderline into Gaza.

Speaking astatine a London memorial lawsuit marking the attacks a twelvemonth ago, her parent Mandy Damari said her daughter's "plight seems to person been forgotten".

The dual-national is among 97 hostages who stay unaccounted for.

At the Hyde Park memorial lawsuit attended by thousands of British Jews connected Sunday, Mandy said: "[Emily ] is simply a girl of some countries, but nary 1 present mentions the information that determination is inactive a pistillate British hostage being held captive by Hamas for a twelvemonth now, and I sometimes wonderment if radical adjacent cognize determination is simply a British pistillate there.

"Imagine, for a infinitesimal if Emily was your daughter. Try to representation what she is going through.

"Since 7 October past year, she has been held a hostage by Hamas terrorists successful the Gaza panic tunnels, 20 metres oregon much underground, kept successful captivity, tortured, isolated, incapable to eat, talk oregon adjacent determination without idiosyncratic else's permission.”

She told the assemblage however erstwhile her girl visited the UK, she loved watching Tottenham play, going to the pub, buying astatine Primark and listening to Ed Sheeran.

Mandy pleaded with Britain and different countries to bash much to unafraid the merchandise of her girl and the different hostages.

“How is it that she is inactive imprisoned determination aft 1 year? Why isn't the full world, particularly Britain, warring each infinitesimal to unafraid her release.”

She said immoderate of the women and children who were released successful the hostage woody successful November told her Emily was live past and they spoke astir however she helped the different hostages effort to enactment positive, adjacent successful the worst of times.

“Every time is surviving hellhole not knowing what Emily is going through. I bash cognize from the hostages that returned that they were starved, sexually abused and tortured. Every infinitesimal mislaid is different infinitesimal of unimaginable suffering oregon adjacent death.”

BBC News has approached the UK Foreign Office for comment.

Other hostages with British relatives held see Eli Sharabi, Oded Lifschitz and Avinatan Or. British-Israeli Nadav Popplewell was besides kidnapped connected 7 October. His assemblage was recovered by Israeli soldiers successful Gaza successful August.

Families of Israeli hostages met Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy connected Monday, calling connected them to "do more" to bring them home.

Sir Keir agreed that the hostages indispensable beryllium freed and returned immediately, a consequent property league was told.

The memorial connected Sunday was organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council and different groups.

On Saturday, tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protestors marched done cardinal London calling for an contiguous ceasefire successful Gaza and an extremity to the escalating struggle successful the Middle East.

Israel launched a subject run successful Gaza successful effect to the unprecedented onslaught connected confederate Israel connected 7 October by Hamas gunmen, during which astir 1,200 radical were killed and 251 taken hostage.

At slightest 41,870 radical person been killed successful Gaza since then, according to the territory's Hamas-run wellness ministry.