Girl, 9, left 'nearly mute' after being held hostage by Hamas for 50 days now 'smiling again'

Nine-year-old Emily Hand was held hostage by Hamas for nearly two months but is now 'getting back to her old self' and is 'as noisy and boisterous as ever', her dad Thomas said

A nine-year-old girl who was held hostage by Hamas for 50 days and was nearly mute when she returned to her family is now "smiling again", her dad has said.

When Emily Hand was freed after nearly two months in captivity, her voice was no more than a whisper, only audible when her Irish dad Thomas, 64, put his ear to her lips. Despite going through "absolute hell", Emily is now "smiling again" and is "as noisy and boisterous as ever", according to her dad.

Emily and Thomas had a tearful reunion at the end of November 2023, joined by her beloved dog Johnsie. She was one of 13 Israelis – including 13-year-old Hila Rotem – and four Thais released in a deal that saw Israel free 39 Palestinians from their jails.

But after Emily was released, Thomas had to break the news that his ex-wife Narkis, 54, had been murdered in the October 7 attacks. He said she had been like a mum to Emily after her mother Liat died when the girl was two.

Today marks the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks in southern Israel, during which 1,139 people were killed and 251 were taken as hostages. But one year on, war continues to rage in the Middle East, with thousands of people killed by Israel in Gaza and Lebanon.

Talking about his daughter one year from the date she was taken hostage, Thomas told The Sun: "Emily went through absolute hell but she's a fighter - and she is smiling again. When she was released she was afraid to speak in more than a whisper because the terrorists had threatened to shoot or stab her if she made too much noise.

"But a year later she' getting back to her old self and is as noisy and boisterous as ever - I never complain now no matter how noisy she gets. We have a new home in a new, safe, kibbutz further from Gaza and she’s back at school with some of her old friends and starting to enjoy life again.

"It's awful remembering the dark times but I have to be thankful that I got her back and give her every chance to be happy and enjoy every day." To mark the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023, attacks, Israelis are holding memorial ceremonies to pay tribute to and mourn the victims.

In Gaza, which is still buckling under the weight of the ongoing war, no formal commemorative event is planned. The massive destruction and displacement are a constant reminder of the retaliatory Israeli assault on the territory, which has no end in sight.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 42,600 Palestinians, displaced most of the territory's 2.3 million population and sparked a humanitarian crisis that has led to widespread hunger. It has also left the tiny coastal enclave ravaged beyond recognition as ceasefire efforts have repeatedly sputtered.