The last remaining British hostage in Gaza has been named by Hamas as one of three people set to be released on Sunday, after 470 days of captivity in what has been described as “ongoing torture” for her family.
A ceasefire deal, which promises the phased release of hostages as well as a pause in the 15-month Israel-Hamas war, was delayed on Sunday morning but came into force at 9.15am UK time.
The agreement came into effect after Hamas named three hostages it plans to release from 2pm UK time, including British-Israeli Emily Damari.
The 28-year-old’s mother Mandy Damari, who grew up in Beckenham, south-east London, has fiercely campaigned for her daughter’s freedom, and the release of all Israeli hostages.
Stephen Brisley, whose brother-in-law is also a hostage, bonded with Ms Damari’s family over their shared experiences, and said he has heard they are “excited and encouraged”.
Mr Brisley, who is originally from Bristol but lives in South Wales, told the PA news agency: “I’m not ashamed to say that I shed more than a few tears a couple of hours ago when it was confirmed, particularly that Emily was coming out, because I have that personal connection with Mandy, her mum, and have spent time with her and with members of her wider family, her aunt and uncle.
“I know what this means to them, and so I’m incredibly pleased and joyous for them.
“We’ve heard from them via our legal team, who have been representing all of the British or British-linked hostages, just to say obviously they’re excited and encouraged – that’s me paraphrasing – but obviously it’s what they’ve been waiting for.
“But similarly, the same as the rest of us, they’re tempering that with, let’s wait until she’s on Israeli soil and in the hands of the medical professionals before getting too ahead of themselves.
“We know that she was shot in the original attack, so we don’t know what her physical state will be, let alone her mental state after all this time.”
A lawyer for Ms Damari’s family told of the “unimaginable” position they have been in.
Adam Rose told Times Radio: “I visited Emily’s little house on the kibbutz, bullet-ridden and burnt, last January and it’s pretty unimaginable to think the terror she went through and the ongoing torture that her family has been put through for 470 days, almost 500 days now.”
He said he has warned her loved ones to “prepare for the worst”.
He told BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “Our advice has always been until somebody is in your arms and being hugged and they’re alive and well, you have to assume that nothing is happening. And, I suppose, prepare for the worst.
“But hopefully Emily is well. Hopefully Emily will come out this afternoon. Hopefully she’ll be given medical care and then she’ll be hugged.”
The families of other British-linked hostages wait to hear about their loved ones.
Mr Brisley, whose brother-in-law Eli Sharabi was on the original list of 33 hostages to be released in the opening phase of the ceasefire deal, described the prospect of waiting to hear news as “an exquisite torture”.
He told PA: “As we understand it, if the deal progresses as it’s supposed to then Saturdays will be release days, so we should hear by the Friday whether Eli is to be released. So it’s an exquisite torture.
“Every week it’s going to be counting down to Friday afternoon to see whether Eli’s name is on the new list of those to be released… and then either crushing disappointment or tempered joy.”
Mr Brisley and his family do not even know whether Mr Sharabi is still alive.
London-based film-maker Sharone Lifschitz said she knew her father, Oded, was alive in Gaza in late October 2023 but has heard no news of him since.
“He was frail and he was shot in the hand,” she told BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg. “His chances are not great but we will know.”
She reacted to the news of Ms Damari’s expected release, telling the programme: “It’s incredible to imagine that Emily will be hugging her mum Mandy today. That’s wonderful.”
Two other hostages, Romi Gonen and Doron Steinbrecher, are set to be released on Sunday.
The UK Government welcomed news of Ms Damari’s expected freedom, with a Foreign Office spokesperson adding: “We stand ready to support her upon her release.”
They also said: “We urge both sides to implement all phases of the deal in full and for all hostages to be returned.”
Politicians described the situation in the Middle East as “fragile”.
Cabinet minister Darren Jones said the UK is “hopeful” about the ceasefire, but added: “There’s much more work to be done.”
Asked how confident he is that it will hold, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury told Times Radio: “We’re certainly very hopeful. It’s great that we’ve gotten to this position where a ceasefire has begun.
“Clearly it’s fragile, clearly there’s much more work to be done. We want the hostages released back to Israel for the fighting to stop, as we said, from the very start of this conflict.
“Then the most immediate priority will be making sure that the aid that has been put together is able to be released into Gaza to support the people who desperately are in need of it.
“Then we have that small window of opportunity, that hope that we might be able to get all the parties around the table once again, to focus on a permanent, two-state solution that could prevent this type of war and terrorism from returning to the region in the future.”
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel urged all parties to “stick with the plan that has been outlined”.
She told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News: “The three hostages, Emily is clearly one of them, and her mother, Mandy – many of us have met Mandy, we know the family – but just the sheer anxiety and apprehension that they’ll be feeling, it’s just extraordinary.”
Dame Priti went on to describe the ceasefire deal as “vital”, adding: “All parties are calling for it. Countries are calling for it. There’s a lot of hope that is really linked to this new deal and framework.
“I think everyone will urge both sides to stick with the plan that has been outlined, recognising it’s difficult, it’s very sensitive. We need to see the hostages released in this first phase, others to come out and clearly then work together in a constructive way for a better future for the region.”
Former prime minister Sir Tony Blair said the ceasefire deal “marks a crucial step towards ending the devastation” of the conflict since October 2023.
