We are filled with joy to see Doron Steinbrecher, Emily Damari, and Romi Gonen returning safely to their families. We are sure you have seen footage of their return, but we wanted to share with you some details about these three individuals and the connection they have to our supporters.
Emily Damari, 28, was a hostage of interest for many of our supporters because she was the last British hostage being held in Gaza. Emily was kidnapped from Kibbutz Kfar Aza where she was in her home. She lost two fingers in the attack and saw her dog killed in front of her.
Mandy Damari, Emily’s mother, is British and survived the 7th October attacks as she was able to evade Hamas after the door handle in her safe room was damaged by a stray bullet and was unable to be opened either by herself inside or by the terrorists outside. She was eventually rescued by the IDF.
We are proud to have helped amplify Mandy’s messages calling for Emily’s release and spreading the truth about the Israel-Hamas conflict. From her impassioned speech to 30,000 pro-Israel supporters gathered at Hyde Park last year to the numerous times she challenged the UK government’s biased positions over the past few months, CUFI supporters have been keenly following her story.
After Emily’s release, Mandy said, “I want to thank everyone who never stopped fighting for Emily throughout this horrendous ordeal, and who never stopped saying her name.”
“In Israel, Britain, the United States, and around the world. Thank you for bringing Emily home,” said Mandy.
We’re sure you are as relieved as we are that Emily is home safe, our collective prayers have been answered. Praise the Lord!
The next released hostage was Romi Gonen, 24, a dancer and choreographer. Romi was kidnapped during Hamas’s massacre at the Nova Festival where more than 360 festival goers, were murdered in cold blood.
Romi’s sister, Yarden, spoke at the CUFI Washington Summit in 2024. Through tears, Yarden explained her sister’s story. At 6:40 am on 7th October, she received a message from Romi saying, “Sis, something is wrong.” Yarden and her mother were on the phone with Yarden for the next 4 hours as Romi tried to make her escape, running from gunfire with her friend, hiding in bushes, and eventually being picked up by an Israeli in a car and driven towards what they thought was safety only to be ambushed by terrorists. Romi’s last words to her mother and sister were, “They shot me, Mum. Everyone in the car is bleeding.” The driver and Romi’s friend died in front of her. Romi was shot in the arm and dragged into Gaza against her will by the terrorists.
Yarden explained to CUFI that “love thy neighbour as thyself was written on Romi” and that she flourished in social situations. Other hostages who were held with Romi and released earlier testified to this when they described Romi as a “beacon of light in captivity.” She tried to keep the morale of other hostages up so they would not despair despite the horrendous situation.
Yarden told us she could not wait to see Romi released and promised to return with her sister to a future CUFI event. We look forward to showering our love on Yarden and Romi after all they have both endured.
Doron Steinbrecher, 31, was the final hostage released yesterday. She is a veterinary nurse who was kidnapped from her apartment in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on 7th October.
Doron lived alone and tried to hide under her bed when Hamas invaded. She left a voicemail to her mother as the terrorists broke into her bedroom, “They’ve got me, they’ve got me.” These were her final words and little was known about Doron’s status in captivity until she was released.
Doron requires daily medication and when the family approached the Red Cross to raise concerns about Doron’s health, the Red Cross lectured them saying the family “should care more about the Arab people on the other side” than about Doron. Shameful.
The world has failed Israel on so many levels, and there is much more to be done to ensure justice for Israel and to bring home all the remaining hostages. Right now, however, there is something to celebrate. Three Israeli daughters have been safely returned home.
We know they have a long road of recovery ahead of them. We are praying that God will be with each one of these precious women and heal them in every aspect; physically, mentally, and emotionally. We also pray for the families as they deal with the stories they hear and seeing how their loved ones may have changed over the past 15 months. Now though, they can recover and rebuild their lives together. They have a second chance.
We must keep praying for the ongoing hostage situation. We hope this release will be the first of many, and we will not stop interceding until every Israeli hostage is free.
Importantly, we must continue to raise the Christian banner of support for Israel and the Jewish people. Christians must never again fail the Jewish people. Israel must know that they are not alone, there are millions of Christians who stand shoulder to shoulder with them and love them as brothers and sisters. We will never abandon them, especially not in their hour of need.
For Zion’s Sake,
The CUFI UK Team
