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9 months ago
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Nine-year-old Irish girl Emily Hand has been freed as part of a hostage exchange after she was held by Hamas for 50 days, The Irish Times has reported.
Emily, an Irish-Israeli citizen, was kidnapped during Hamas' invasion of Israel on October 7, in which some 240 captives were taken back into Gaza.
She was among at least 30 children believed to be still held in the besieged enclave.
Nine-year-old Irish girl Emily Hand (pictured) has been freed as part of a hostage exchange after she was held by Hamas for 50 days, The Irish Times has reported
Thomas Hand, father of nine-year-old Emily Hand, cries during a press conference by families of hostages at the embassy of Israel in London on November 20, 2023
A woman holds leaflets picturingIrish-Israeli girl Emily Hand, believed to be being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, November 17, 2023
Her father previously spoke of his fear that his daughter would not be released as part of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
'Until I see Emily's blue eyes looking into my own, I won't allow myself to believe anything,' the father from Dublin, 63, wrote in The Independent on Wednesday.
'News that 50 Hamas hostages might soon be released as part of a four-day truce has given me a glimmer of hope,' he wrote, 'but also a new sickness in the depths of my stomach. What if Emily is not among those that her assailants choose to send home?'
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
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