Mother of British hostage held in Gaza urgently requires peace deal
The mother of a British hostage held by Hamas in Gaza has pleaded with diplomats to get a peace deal done ahead of today’s crucial ceasefire summit in Qatar.
Mandy Damari, whose daughter Emily, 29, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, emphasised that it was a ‘pivotal moment’ for negotiators ‘to show their commitment to all the hostages’.
‘These last ten months I’ve been sick with worry – I just can’t wait to hold Emily in my arms again,’ she said.
Ms Damari yesterday joined the British Ambassador to Israel, Simon Walters, and his American and German counterparts at a special joint press conference at the Hostages and Missing Families Forum headquarters in Tel Aviv.
The diplomats urged Iran not to jeopardise a peace deal. Israel has been braced for an attack by Iran since a Hamas leader was assassinated in Tehran last month.
Ms Damari told the Daily Mail: ‘I haven’t spoken to any media about Emily for ten months. I am hopeful but not optimistic that a deal will be done this week.
Mandy Damari, whose daughter Emily, 29, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, emphasised that it was a ‘pivotal moment’ for negotiators on both sides
Homes in the Kfar Aza kibbutz – they were burnt to the ground by Hamas on October 7 last year
Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were slated to continue today in Doha (pictured: Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip)
‘I was in the room with the British Ambassador, and also the US and German Ambassador and it was reassuring to feel their support.
‘I feel that it is crucial at this pivotal moment in the negotiations to show their commitment to all the hostages.’
Ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas were slated to continue today in Doha, with Western leaders urging Hamas to return hostages and Israel to stop its bombardment of Gaza.
But Hamas has stated it ‘won’t participate’ in the talks and neither side appears willing to reach a compromise.
Mr Walters told yesterday’s press conference: ‘We are at a critical junction for the sake of the hostages, Israel and the Palestinians and the whole region.
‘We need a deal which will create a positive dynamic and prevent a further deterioration of a situation that is already dire.’
On the 313th day since Hamas’s brutal attack on October 7, Mr Walters said that ‘even in our worst nightmares, we couldn’t have imagined that we would still be here ten months later.’
It is the 313th day since Hamas’s brutal attack on October 7 from the Gaza Strip (pictured)
He added: ‘We urge Iran and its proxies to refrain from attacking Israel. If Iran chooses to jeopardise these negotiations it will bear responsibility for those actions.’
US Ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, said that the suffering of the families ‘is enough of a reason for us to be here just in the name of humanity’ and that ‘it’s an enormous urgency, because it’s also part of the question of maintaining some stability in this region and not having violence escalate.’
Mr Lew added that reaching a deal would open ‘a pathway for conversations to have a diplomatic solution in the north, and other critical strategic objectives, which would leave Israel the region and our countries safer.’
The press conference comes days after US President Joe Biden spoke to the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the UK to discuss de-escalating tensions in the Middle East and reaching a ceasefire in Gaza.
The five leaders then issued a joint statement that stressed ‘there is no further time to lose’. It also expressed support for Israel against any Iranian threat while urging distribution and delivery of aid to Gaza.
Mr Biden said it was his ‘expectation’ that a ceasefire would prevent Iran from launching retaliatory strikes against Israel.
Mr Walters added: ‘We have stood with the families throughout this ordeal, and we will continue to do so until their loved ones are home. Their suffering has gone on for far too long.
‘There can be no further delay. Now is the time for a deal that sees the immediate return of the hostages.’
