The best friend of recently released British hostage Emily Damari has revealed his delight that they will soon be reunited after '15 months of hell'.
Ms Damari, 28, was kidnapped during the October 7 attacks and has been held hostage for 470 days.
She was devastatingly shot in the hand and suffered shrapnel wounds to the leg when she was snatched from the kibbutz village of Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.
This afternoon she was one of three women released as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel, with an international Red Cross convoy picking up the trio from Hamas.
The ceasefire was postponed this morning when the terrorist group failed to hand over the list of names 24 hours in advance as stated in the agreement.
Ms Damari's best friend Guy Yakobi, 29, told of his relief and excitement after an agonizing wait to see if she would really be let go.
'We are very enthusiastic. All the rumors from Telegram said she was not on the list today,” he said.
'We have been through hell these past hours and days. We didn't sleep. I was really nervous. “I've been awake all night because of Hamas' delay in providing the names.”
Emily Damari's best friend Guy Yakobi (pictured together) spoke of his relief and excitement after an agonizing wait to see if she would be released by Hamas today.
Ms Damari, 28, was kidnapped during the October 7 attacks and held hostage for 470 days before being released this afternoon
He added: 'This morning I was walking my dog in the park and I saw the names and just screamed at the top of my lungs.
'I cried and shouted, “Yes! Thank God!” Everyone was staring at me and I just shouted at them, 'My best friend is coming back from Gaza!'
After hearing the news, Mr Yakobi said he was still coming to terms with what happened after “15 months of hell.”
“Then we started organizing everything, all our friends watch the news together,” he said.
'We still have to process that she is coming home again, after this hell of fifteen months.
“We will cry here together. We invited all of Emily's best friends to the kibbutz, we're going to watch the news together.'
Revealing how he met Ms Damari, he said: “I moved to Kfar Aza in sixth grade. My parents were the closest house to her, so our friendship began.
'Emily is the best friend ever. If you want a friend who will do everything for you, if you need a friend who is only there for you, this is Emily.
'Emily goes out of her way to make her friends happy and she is truly the best person I know.
Ms Damari was shot in the hand and suffered shrapnel wounds to her leg when she was snatched from the kibbutz village of Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.
Doron Steinbrecher, 30, (pictured) was also released today after Hamas initially failed to hand over a list of hostages
Romi Gonen, 23, (photo) was one of three women released by Hamas today as part of the ceasefire
'She does everything she can to please all the people around her, even if she has only known them for a few days.
“In Kfar Aza it is customary that if you bring a new girlfriend or boyfriend, you bring them to Emily's house first because she is the best at breaking the ice.”
Ms Damari, a Spurs fan, was born in Kfar Aza and has lived on the kibbutz all her life, but regularly visits England.
Her mother, Mandy, grew up in Beckenham before moving to Israel when she was 20, where she met Ms Damari's father and they had three children together in Kfar Aza.
“I've thought about this moment too many times,” he said. 'I think I'll just cuddle and cry. I hope I still have tears left from the past year, but it all comes out when I see her.
'We are going to wait and be patient. We'll wait until we see her on the other side and then we'll celebrate.
'We will not leave her side. We will be her shadow. Wherever she goes, we will follow her.”
The friend said he is watching from Kibbutz Gap. 'It's great for the kibbutz. They've been around the world together. They are really fantastic women and very strong over the last year,” he said.
“It's a blessing that their daughters are coming out of this together. It's painful when one comes out and the other doesn't, so this is very special for them.
'I'm amazed to see how powerful and what good friends they are. It's truly incredible to see them together and be there for each other this past year. It would have been so painful if they came back separately. When you see those names together, it's a great relief.
“But there are still more from our kibbutz who need to come home. We are waiting for them, it is not over yet.'
