Father of kidnapped schoolgirl Emily Hand, nine, says she is 'smiling again' after 50 days of 'absolute hell' as an Hamas hostage left her broken and terrified to speak

A brave little girl who was taken hostage by Hamas was thankfully returned to the arms of her father, but remained traumatised and nearly mute until now.

Nine-year-old Emily Hand was snatched in her pyjamas during a sleepover at her friend's house during the terrorist group's attack on Israel on October 7 last year and was held hostage for 50 days.

Footage of Emily running into her father's arms before they shared an emotional embrace warmed the hearts of all who watched it.

Her father said at the time she was 'broken but in one piece' after he had previously said he believed she would be better off dead than kidnapped by Hamas.

It's been a long road to recovery, as upon her return Emily was painfully skinny, with  matted filthy hair and she only spoke in a whisper because her thuggish captors had told the schoolgirl they would stab her if she made too much noise. 

But her father Thomas praised her as a 'fighter' and revealed she is now as 'noisy and boisterous as ever' and is 'smiling again'. He vowed to never complain about how loud she is being.

He told The Sun Emily is 'smiling again' and is back at school with some of her old friends, starting to 'enjoy life'.

He said: 'Emily still gets scared of loud noises and wasn't able to sleep alone for a long time after she came back.

'She still has nightmares but counselling has helped and things are much better now.

'She spent her last birthday in hell so I'll be making sure she has a party to remember this year when she turns 10 on October 17.'

Ahead of the anniversary of the attack, he said 'our thoughts are always with the hostages'.

Upon her return, Mr Hand said he had been too scared to hug her tightly - but vowed to throw her the 'biggest birthday party ever'. She turned nine while a hostage.

Following her release, her family added in a statement: 'Emily has come back to us. We can't find the words to describe our emotions after 50 challenging and complicated days.

'We are overjoyed to embrace Emily again, but at the same time, we remember Raya Rotem and all the hostages who have yet to return.

We will persist in doing everything in our power to bring them back home.

'We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped and supported us during the last 50 days until Emily's return.

'We appreciate the unwavering support as we continue our efforts for the safe return of all.'

Emily's capture made headlines around the world after her emotional father initially said he hoped she had died in the October 7 invasion, rather than being in the hands of Hamas.

Speaking at at a press conference at the time, Mr Hand said he believed she was facing 'sheer terror and panic every hour of every day.'

'She must be saying every day: 'Where's my daddy? Where's my daddy, why isn't be coming to save me?'

He added: 'I don't know what condition she's gonna be in, but she's gonna be broken, very broken, mentally and physically, and we'll have to fix that.'

The little girl's father explained her dog is going to be an important part of her recovery and even told the military that Johnsie was a requirement.

He said: 'The dog is so loving and so calm usually… he's just the calming influence Emily will need for the next few weeks.'

'I absolutely insisted that the dog must come with me and, to my surprise, the Israeli army has agreed,' he added.

Mr Hand has been Emily's sole parent after her mother died from cancer when she was just two years old.

Dubliner Thomas travelled to Israel three decades ago to volunteer on a kibbutz near the Gaza border.

He faced an unbearable wait for news about his daughter after Hamas terrorists stormed the kibbutz where she was staying for a sleepover at her friend's home on October 7.

When he was incorrectly told her body had been found, he welcomed the news because he said it was better than her being taken hostage during the barbaric attack on the Be'eri Kibbutz.

Her older sister, Natalie, told Israeli media: 'We were told that she had been murdered. We were in mourning.

'On October 31, they told us that it was highly likely that she had been abducted.'

When Natalie was asked whether she had anything she wanted to say to Emily, on the off-chance she could be listening, she said: 'I want to tell you that we are doing everything to get you home. We know you are being held hostage.

'We love you so much and miss you.'

Emily was among at least 30 children believed to be still held in Gaza.