Just before the start of Israel’s Remembrance Day, Emily Damari, a former Gaza hostage, released a video in which she shared her testimony about her time in captivity on Tuesday.
In the video, Damari recounted how she and fellow hostage Romi Gonen realized, while still held by Hamas, that the day had marked Remembrance Day—exactly one year ago. Despite the unimaginable conditions they faced, the two women managed to recognize the significance of the date and chose to mark it in their own way.
'Incredibly difficult days for me,' Damari said
“These are incredibly difficult days for me,” Damari said, reflecting on her return. Today marks 100 days since I came home. Not a day goes by that Gali and Ziv aren’t in my thoughts. I speak to them, I pray for them—everything I can do, I do for them.”
She went on to describe the moment she and Gonen understood the date: “A year ago, we somehow gathered from Al Jazeera that it was Memorial Day. Romi and I decided that at 11 a.m., we would simply stand for a minute and remember everyone. We let ourselves feel the pain. It was one of the most powerful moments we experienced there. To be in the lowest place imaginable, and still find a way to mark the day—that meant everything.”
Damari concluded by urging the public to remember the fallen and stand with bereaved families.
“It is vital that we all bow our heads in memory, that we be there for the bereaved families, and that we stay united. That’s what matters most. I love you all. Thank you for your support. With God’s help, may we see better days.”