Released Hostage Emily Damari Tells Keir Starmer she was held in UN Facilities

[Social Media]

 

Emily Damari, British-Israeli  who was held hostage by Hamas for 15 months in Gaza, has revealed to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that she was detained in a United Nations facility and denied medical treatment throughout her captivity. The 28-year-old was kidnapped from her home on October 7, 2023, by Hamas gunmen, who shot her in the hand and leg and killed her pet dog.  

 

During a phone call with her mother, Damari disclosed that she had been held for a period in facilities belonging to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) but was never given access to medical care. She explained that the only medical aid provided to her was a single bottle of expired iodine, despite her severe injuries, including the loss of two fingers on her left hand and an unhealed wound in her leg.  

 

Following the conversation, her mother, Mandy Damari, took to X to share the harrowing details. "Hamas held Emily in UNRWA facilities and denied her access to medical treatment after shooting her twice. It's a miracle that she survived, and we need to get aid to remaining hostages now," she wrote.  

 

Rihards Kols MEP: UNRWA's complicity in Hamas' crimes is undeniable. Israeli hostages were held captive on its premises—funded in part by the EU budget. Along with colleagues, I urge @antonioguterres to shut down UNRWA. The UN must uphold its own values, not enable terrorism.

 

 

In response to the allegations, UNRWA issued a statement to Sky News, expressing relief over the release of the hostages. "We at UNRWA are relieved that hostages have been released. We hope all others will be released too. It is also a relief that Ms. Damari has finally been reunited with her family," the agency said. Addressing the claims that hostages were held in their premises, the agency added, "Claims that hostages have been held in UNRWA premises, even if previously vacated, are very serious. We have repeatedly called for independent investigations into claims of misuse and disregard of UN premises by Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas."  

 

The revelation about Damari’s captivity comes as a new Israeli law goes into effect, banning UNRWA operations on Israeli land, including in East Jerusalem, and cutting off contact with Israeli authorities. Israel has long been critical of the agency, arguing that it perpetuates the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by conferring refugee status to the descendants of refugees—a classification not given to any other group of refugees worldwide. Additionally, Israeli authorities have accused UNRWA of fostering anti-Israel sentiment in its schools and of enabling Palestinian dependence on aid for decades.

 

Furthermore, Israel has alleged that some UNRWA employees have been involved in acts of terror, including participating in the October 7 attacks, while hundreds more have ties to terrorist organizations.

 

Based on a report by Sky News 2025-02-03

 

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[koolkarl]

Not only should UNRWA be shut down but the people employed by it who assisted the Hamas animals, be prosecuted and jailed.

 

[Donga]

And Keir Starmer would be like, "Oh that's shocking. You poor dear. Now who are UNRWA?" Are they being persecuted by the Zionists as well?"