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.