Former Hamas Hostage, Who Hid Her Sexuality From Her Captors To Survive, Marries Her Female Partner

A former Hamas hostage, Emily Damari, married her partner, Danielle Amit, an Israeli food influencer, less than two years after her release from captivity. Ms. Damari, who is British and Israeli, met Ms. Amit months after she was released by Hamas in 2025. The couple announced their engagement in January 2026. Ms. Damari was abducted from her home at Kibbutz Kfar Aza during Hama’s October 7 attack. She lost two fingers after she was shot during the attack. She was held for 471 days before being released on January 19, 2025. In a June 2025 interview with N12, Ms. Damari said she hid her sexual orientation from her captors as they asked her about her relationship status, out of fear they would kill her if they found out about her sexuality. One of her captors said he would kill his brother if he was gay. There were several other former Hamas hostages at the wedding ceremony, including Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher, Liri Albag, Danielle Gilboa, Omer Shem Tov, Keith and Aviva Siegal, and Gali and Ziv Berman.During the ceremony, Ms. Damari’s mother, Mandy, said, “For 471 days, she was held in captivity,” according to the Jerusalem Post.“And during those endless days and nights, there were moments when the thought of standing here tonight, seeing my daughter alive, safe, happy, and standing beside the person she loves, would have been impossible to imagine,” she said. Ms. Damari’s mother said she would “never stop being grateful” to see her daughter “alive, happy, and beginning this new chapter.”“You fought so hard to survive, Emily. You fought for your life when you were in captivity, and you fought your way back to us,” she said. “Tonight, I don’t want to look back at the 471 days. I want to look forward to all the days ahead. Because after everything, my daughter is here. She is loved. She is happy. And she is beginning a new chapter with you, Dani.”The wedding celebrations featured a dinner with family and friends before the couple exchanged vows beneath a chuppah. Both brides wore custom dresses made by an Israeli fashion designer, Oria Azran.

Former Hamas Hostage, Who Hid Her Sexuality From Her Captors To Survive, Marries Her Female Partner

Former Hamas Hostage, Who Hid Her Sexuality From Her Captors To Survive, Marries Her Female Partner

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