'I've returned to my beloved life' says freed British-Israeli hostage

British-Israeli nationalist Emily Damari says she has "returned to my beloved life" successful her archetypal comments since being released from captivity successful Gaza.

The 28-year-old was changeable successful the manus and dragged from her location successful confederate Israel connected 7 October 2023.

She was 1 of the archetypal 3 hostages to beryllium released connected Sunday arsenic portion of the long-awaited ceasefire woody betwixt Israel and Hamas.

In an Instagram station published pursuing her release, Ms Damari besides wrote "love, love, love", and thanked God, her household and "the champion friends I person successful this world".

According to a translation of the message, which is successful Hebrew, she besides suggests she was capable to spot immoderate of the absorption connected Sunday to her release, saying "you broke my bosom with excitement, convey you".

At the bottommost of the message, Ms Damari includes a manus emoji with 2 of the fingers curled. She mislaid 2 fingers aft being changeable successful the manus during her capture.

Ms Damari's household has besides spoken astir her delight astatine her return. They had been told successful March 2024 she was inactive live but had been fixed nary accusation astir her information since.

Her parent Mandy, who has spent that clip campaigning for her release, said successful a statement: "After 471 days Emily is yet home.

"I privation to convey everyone who ne'er stopped warring for Emily passim this horrendous ordeal, and who ne'er stopped saying her name. In Israel, Britain, the United States, and astir the world. Thank you for bringing Emily home."

She added that portion "Emily's nightmare" is implicit "the intolerable wait" continues for different families.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the merchandise of the 3 hostages was "wonderful and agelong overdue".

Ms Damari's merchandise - alongside that of Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31- was the archetypal of respective owed to instrumentality spot implicit the adjacent six weeks – if the ceasefire holds.

They volition proceed until a full of 33 Israeli hostages person been returned and astir 1,900 Palestinians person been freed successful exchange.