Freed hostage Emily Damari's 'nightmare' is over: Mother

Mandy Damari, mother of British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari freed on Sunday said her daughter's "nightmare in Gaza is over" and she is "finally home" in a statement shared with AFP.

"After 471 days Emily is finally home," her mother said, thanking "everyone who never stopped fighting for Emily throughout this horrendous ordeal".

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"Thank you for bringing Emily home", said Mandy Damari, who has campaigned relentlessly for the return of her daughter.

Damari was kidnapped from her home in Kfar Aza kibbutz in southern Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, during its unprecedented attack.

"While Emily's nightmare in Gaza is over, for too many other families the impossible wait continues," she added, calling for the release of "every last hostage".

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the release of three Israeli hostages held by Hamas under the ceasefire deal as "wonderful and long-overdue news after months of agony for them and their families".

"While this ceasefire deal should be welcomed, we must not forget about those who remain in captivity under Hamas", Starmer said in a statement calling for the remaining phases of the truce to be implemented "in full and on schedule".

The lawyers for Emily Damari's family said they were "delighted" at her release.

"Hopefully she will be very well, and everyone will be very pleasantly surprised at how well she is," lawyer Adam Rose told AFP.

"It's been an absolute nightmare" for her family, Rose added.

"We do not know where she has been kept for the past 15 months. She might have been kept in an apartment. She might have been kept in a tunnel."

"We will need to wait and find out when she's well enough to tell people.