British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari has thanked fellow Tottenham Hotspur fans for their support while she was held captive in Gaza.
The 28-year-old, who lost two fingers during her capture after being shot in the hand, was one of three hostages released by Hamas in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners on Sunday - 471 days after being seized by Hamas fighters on October 7, 2023.
Emily today released photos of herself wearing and holding the north London club's scarf, alongside an emoji style image of her injured hand covered with a bandage decorated with club's badge.
A spokesperson said Emily "wants to thank Tottenham Hotspur, together with its fans and players, for all their unwavering support during her time being held captive in Gaza. She can't wait to come back to London to see her favourite team play".
They also said the life-long Spurs fan "was so touched to hear about all the amazing people who regularly released yellow balloons during matches and tied yellow ribbons around the stadium and is so proud to be known as 'One Of Our Own'." And they added: "Her wish now is for the remaining 94 hostages, including the eight British linked, to come home as soon as possible!".
Emily was freed alongside two other hostages, Romi Gonen, 24, and Doron Steinbrecher, 31, as part of a ceasefire agreement. They were among 250 hostages kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 attack on Israel, which killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians and sparked a war in Gaza, costing almost 47,000 Palestinian lives.
Emily has since posted online: “Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m the happiest in the world.” However, she added: “My heart is broken with emotions.”
Emily was shot by the terrorists, who killed her golden cockapoo dog, Choocha, before blindfolding her and driving her into Gaza in her own car. Hostages released by Hamas previously described her bravery, courage and laughter below ground, telling how she helped raise spirits by leading captives in a daily rendition of a song called Boker Shel Kef - translated as "it's a great morning".
Before being taken she had been a regular visitor to London, where she would visit to see her grandad, Sidney Moss, in Beckenham, south London. He died aged 97 in March. She was also a regular at matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where fans showed their support for her by chanting: "Emily Damari, she's one of our own".
Her mum Mandy, who battled long and hard for her daughter’s freedom, was born in Surrey and moved from Beckenham, South London, to Israel in her 20s, where she married an Israeli citizen. She miraculously survived the October 7 attack after a bullet jammed the lock of her front door, preventing the group from entering her home.
Speaking on Monday, after Emily was released, Mandy said: "From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank the many people who have played a role in bringing Emily home and given their support to me and my family. I am relieved to report that, after her release, Emily is doing much better than any of us could ever have anticipated.
"I am also happy that during her release the world was given a glimpse of her feisty and charismatic personality. In Emily’s own words, she is the happiest girl in the world – she has her life back."
Mandy has now demanded that the other 94 hostages also be released, adding: "In this incredibly happy moment for our family, we must also remember that 94 other hostages still remain. The ceasefire must continue and every last hostage must be returned to their families. As wonderful as it is to see Emily’s resilience, these are still early days."
Speaking at a press conference in London last month after she met a number of politicians, including prime minister Keir Starmer and foreign secretary David Lammy, Mandy said of Emily: "Her house on the kibbutz was always a place where her friends would drop by for a cup of tea".
Mandy said Emily she is a "massive" fan of Tottenham and "enjoyed having a pint or two" and "a great British sense of humour". She also described Emily as a lover of English music, including artists Adele, Ed Sheeran, James Arthur and Jesse J.