A British-Israeli woman who was held hostage in Gaza for 15 months has alleged that she was detained for part of her captivity in buildings operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). Emily Damari, 28, shared details of her ordeal with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, describing the dire medical conditions she endured while being held by Hamas.
According to Damari, her captors provided only an expired bottle of iodine to treat her gunshot wounds, which included injuries to her leg and left hand, where she lost two fingers. Despite the suffering she endured, she expressed gratitude to those in the UK who had campaigned for her release.
UNRWA responded to the allegations, calling them “very serious” and emphasizing the need for independent investigations into claims that Palestinian armed groups have misused its facilities. Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s director of communications, explained that the agency’s buildings had been converted into shelters during the conflict, at one point housing up to a million displaced individuals. She also noted that UNRWA had been unable to access many of its sites for months.
The Israeli government has repeatedly accused UNRWA of being complicit in Hamas’s operations, alleging that agency staff were involved in the October 7, 2023, attacks, which resulted in approximately 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of 251 people. Israel has stated its intent to ban UNRWA from operating in Gaza, citing concerns over the use of its buildings by armed groups.
A spokesperson for Downing Street welcomed UNRWA’s commitment to investigating potential misuse of its facilities. Meanwhile, ongoing negotiations have led to the gradual release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Three more hostages are expected to be freed on Saturday, with 183 Palestinian detainees set for release.
The war, which began following the Hamas attacks on October 7, has devastated Gaza. The health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory reports that Israel’s military offensive has resulted in 47,460 Palestinian deaths over the past 15 months.
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