Father begs for release of eight-year-old Emily Hand
Tom Hand's emotional plea to her captors came as the Taoiseach stood by his use of the word ‘revenge’ last week to describe Israel’s escalating military response to the Hamas terror attacks on October 7 Picture: CNN
The father of Emily Hand, the Irish-Israeli child feared dead but now believed to be held captive in Gaza, has begged for her release.
Tom Hand's emotional plea to her captors came as the Taoiseach stood by his use of the word ‘revenge’ last week to describe Israel’s escalating military response to the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, which has seen thousands of civilians killed in missile strikes on targets including hospitals and refugee camps.
Mr Hand said: “I beg you, on bended knees to please release the children, including Emily, but just release... let’s start with the children.”
Emily, eight, was thought to have been among victims of a Hamas attack on a Kibbutz in southern Israel on October 7, but DNA testing on victims’ remains has now led officials to conclude that Emily may be alive, and is being held hostage.
Speaking to Virgin Media’s podcast from Israel, Mr Hand said he hopes her captors will look after her as she approaches her ninth birthday on November 17.
“It was great to know that there was a possibility she's alive and well and that one day we will get her back and I can hug her," he said.
“She is actually going to have her ninth birthday in Gaza on the 17th. She won't even know it’s her birthday, so there'll be no cake, no parties, no friends.”
Speaking in Cork on Monday, Mr Varadkar said there are about 40 Irish citizens in Gaza. When questioned about Emily’s situation, he said he would not comment on any individual case, but said the Government is doing all it can to secure the release of all Irish citizens trapped in Gaza.
“And we are doing that through contact with the Israeli authorities but also with governments in the area who may have influence — for example the governments of Egypt and Jordan,” he said.
“The Tánaiste has been in touch with the Iranian authorities too. It’s very much a priority for us to do anything we can to facilitate their release.”
He also said he did not regret using the word ‘revenge’ in comments he made last week in South Korea when he defended Israel's right to defend itself, but added:
“But what I'm seeing unfolding at the moment, isn't just self-defence. It looks — it resembles something more approaching revenge and that's not where we should be...”
He told reporters on Monday that when he and the Tánaiste Micheál Martin take the positions they do, they do so because they think “it’s the right thing”.
“Ultimately this is about civilians — Israeli citizens who died or were injured but also Palestinians who are now experiencing a very difficult situation,” he said.
Speaking in Beijing, Mr Martin said the Government has made “key” interlocutors aware of the likely abduction of Emily Hand by Hamas.
“Our ambassador in Israel has been in touch with the family and it's very sensitive and that's why we haven't commented all along because of situations like this,” he said.
“One has to have young Emily's best well-being uppermost in how we deal with this and how we comment on this.
“Over the last while we've spoken to all the key interlocutors in the region in terms of foreign ministers and so on. We've made them all aware of the situation in respect of Emily...and we certainly want a young eight-year-old girl, we want her released along with others, all hostages.”
