October 7 · Personal story
Emily Damari
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza
Current outcome
Released alive · January 19, 2025
Released in the first phase of the ceasefire exchange after 471 days; not a military rescue.
01
Life before October 7
Emily Damari grew up in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where her family made a home after her mother, Mandy, came from England and met her Israeli father on Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha. Damari has said that regular visits to grandparents, cousins and wider family in Britain made the country feel like a second home. That connection also lived in an everyday pleasure: she described herself as a lifelong Tottenham Hotspur supporter. Her story before October 7 is grounded in those ties—to her kibbutz, family across two countries and a football club she continued to follow.
02
October 7
On October 7, 2023, gunmen entered Emily’s home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza and abducted her. During the attack she was shot in the left hand and right leg; the injury to her hand ultimately cost her two fingers. Her dog Choocha was fatally shot. After her release, Emily returned with family to the ruins of the apartment where the abduction began. Her captivity lasted 471 days, ending with a negotiated release.
03
In captivity
Damari later described how captivity changed her sense of time: one day could feel like a week. She said there were moments when she wanted to give up, but she did not; faith gave her strength. She was held with other hostages and negotiated with captors on their behalf, pressing for better treatment. During a lice outbreak, she organized a competition to occupy the group. She said, “I was always with other hostages, and that mattered.”
04
Return
On January 19, 2025, Emily was released in the first stage of the ceasefire exchange, alongside Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher, after 471 days in captivity. The IDF’s dated chronology records the three crossing into Israeli territory and being transferred to Israeli forces; its spokesperson named Emily among those “now in safe hands” and on their way home. They were taken for medical assessment and reunited with their mothers. This was a negotiated release under the ceasefire agreement, not a military rescue operation.
05
Life after return
After coming home, Damari returned to the ruins of her Kfar Aza apartment with family and fellow released hostage Romi Gonen, writing that she had come back to the place where her nightmare began. In the year that followed, she spoke about learning to value ordinary things—opening a refrigerator, drinking cold water and being home with family. A cap made for her by friend Inbar inspired a clothing collection, ÉMILY, created with Israeli retailer Story; she said proceeds would support her rehabilitation and future. She also described wanting to build a home and family with partner Danielle Amit.