Freed hostages surprise young Oct. 7 survivor on her birthday

The sound of laughter echoed through the home of former Hamas hostage Emily Hand’s home on Sunday as fellow Oct. 7 survivors and former hostages Noa Argamani and Hila Rotem Shoshani arrived bearing gifts, traditional Moroccan doughnuts and birthday candles to celebrate her 10th birthday.

Life in Kibbutz Be’eri had already dealt Emily significant challenges before Hamas’s onslaught on Oct. 7, 2023. After losing her mother to cancer as a toddler, she found maternal love through her father’s ex-wife, Narkis Hand, who raised her as her own until tragedy struck again. Narkis was among those killed in the massacre, her life cut short at age 54.

That fateful morning, Emily was enjoying a sleepover at her friend Hila’s house, unaware that their world was about to change forever. Both girls were taken captive and held in Gaza for approximately two months before being freed together as part of a ceasefire deal in November.

Now, almost a year after their release, Hila returned to Emily’s life once more, this time accompanied by Noa, to transform a regular Sunday into a celebration of life and friendship. As Emily blew out her birthday candles surrounded by those who had shared her extraordinary journey, the moment served as a powerful reminder of survival and hope. The young girl, who holds dual Irish-Israeli citizenship, continues to rebuild her life in Israel alongside her 65-year-old father Thomas.

Originally published by Israel Hayom.