Former British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari, 30, who survived 471 days as a captive inside Gaza, has married her partner in an emotional ceremony. She wed her girlfriend Danielle Amit, 36, in a ceremony in Israel in front of friends and family. They celebrated a day none of them could have dreamed of when Emily was snatched by Hamas gunmen on October 7th 2023.
An emotional wedding day
Emily was the only Brit taken and was held in hellish conditions before being freed and coming back to England - where she watched her beloved Tottenham Hotspur. Emily's mum Mandy made an emotional speech at the wedding. She told guests: "There was a time when I wasn't sure I would ever see Emily again. For 471 days, she was held in captivity.
"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."
A celebration of life and love
Mandy continued: "So Danielle, you can probably understand why tonight means more to me than just a wedding. It is a celebration of life. Of love. Of hope." "And of a future that, for a very long time, I wasn't sure Emily would have. And then I look at the two of you together, and I realise just how much there is to celebrate."
Addressing her daughter, she said: "Emily, my beautiful daughter, I have watched you grow up and go through things that no mother should ever have to watch her child endure. And yet somehow, you have come through it still being you, still funny, still feisty, still full of life, still capable of loving and being loved."
A new chapter after captivity
Emily was shot and kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. Following her release on 19 January 2025, she began rebuilding her life and met Dani in the months that followed. The couple confirmed their relationship publicly on 1 June 2025 and became engaged in January 2026, one year after Emily's release.
Those closest to the couple describe their relationship as one of remarkable strength. Dani has embraced the Emily who emerged after 7 October and has been a constant source of love and support as Emily has navigated life after captivity. Together, they embrace one another's strengths and imperfections with compassion, bringing warmth, laughter and an infectious sense of joy wherever they go.
Looking ahead, Emily has often said that her greatest hope is simple: to be a good mother and to build a happy, meaningful life with Dani.
