Emily Damari, kidnapped on October 7, 2023, posted previously unreleased photos from her time as a hostage in Gaza, showing the wounds and chaotic care she received at Shifa Hospital. She suffered a gunshot wound to her hand and shrapnel injuries to her leg, lost two fingers, and experienced prolonged bleeding due to botched stitching. Held for 471 days, Damari was released in early 2025, later underwent corrective surgery, and married her partner Danielle "Dani" Amit in Tel Aviv with many former hostages in attendance.
Emily Damari Posts Unreleased Hostage Photos, Calls Her Survival a “Miracle”
Emily Damari is pictured in Shifa Hospital in Gaza shortly after her capture on October 7, 2023. (photo credit: Instagram/27A Copyright Act)
Emily Damari, who was abducted on October 7, 2023, and later released from Hamas captivity, published previously unreleased photographs on Instagram marking the third anniversary on the Hebrew calendar of her abduction. The images and her accompanying account provide a stark, personal record of the injuries and chaotic conditions she endured while held in Gaza.
Wounds and treatment at Shifa Hospital
Damari said the photos show her in Shifa Hospital soon after she was taken, where she was treated for a gunshot wound to her hand and shrapnel injuries to her leg. Two of her fingers were later amputated, and she underwent further corrective hand surgery after her release in early 2025.
"Three years ago at this time on Simchat Torah I was deep, deep in the Gaza Strip," Damari wrote in the Instagram post accompanying the photographs.
In the post she described a violent and disordered scene: a bloodied room with a corpse on the floor, and a man who introduced himself as a physician — whom she referred to as "Dr. Hamas" — accompanied by armed men who pointed Kalashnikovs at her head.
"I'm in a disgusting room full of blood; there is a corpse on the floor next to me. A 'doctor' approaches and introduces himself as Dr. Hamas, [accompanied by] ten more monsters with Kalashnikovs [pointed] at my head," she wrote.
Improper care and long recovery
Damari emphasized that anyone with medical knowledge could see from the photos how unlikely her survival was. She reported that her leg continued to bleed for months and that sutures meant to be removed after two weeks stayed in her hand for a full year. She has said the initial stitching was incorrect, which contributed to the prolonged bleeding and the need for corrective procedures after her release.
Released hostage Emily Damari hugs her mother, Mandy, upon her release. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
"People who know a little bit about medicine can understand from the pictures that the fact that I'm here today is a miracle," she wrote. "For four months, my leg continued to bleed... [I had stitches] meant to be removed after two weeks that stayed in my hand for a full year, and here I am."
Life after captivity
Damari was held for 471 days before her release in early 2025. In January 2026 she became engaged to Israeli food influencer Danielle "Dani" Amit, and the couple married in August in a Tel Aviv ceremony attended by many former hostages and family.
At the wedding Damari's mother, Mandy, reflected on the ordeal: "For 471 days, she was held in captivity. And during those endless days and nights, there were moments when the thought of standing here tonight, seeing my daughter alive, safe, happy, and standing beside the person she loves, would have been impossible to imagine."
Support from fellow survivors
The celebration included several other former hostages: Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, Liri Albag, Danielle Gilboa, Omer Shem Tov, Keith and Aviva Siegal, and Gali and Ziv Berman.
Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson's Unit. Tzvi Jasper contributed to this report.
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