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Nine-year-old Emily Hand survived nearly two months in Hamas’ grip by running house to house with her captors to escape bombings — and still speaks in frightened whispers because she was conditioned to not make noise, her father revealed Tuesday.

Thomas Hand told CNN that his daughter also thought she’d been gone a year.

“Apart from the whispering, that was a punch in the guts. A year,” he said.

But “she’s a very determined little girl, very strong — I knew that her spirit would get her through it,” Thomas said of his child, who was released Saturday as part of the second day of the cease-fire between Israel and the terror group.

The father said the young Israeli Irish girl had to flee with her captors to survive the deadly violence around them as Israeli forces attacked Gaza.

“That’s terrifying. Being pulled, dragged, pushed … under gunfire probably,” he said.

Emily told her father that “‘nobody hit us” during her 50 days in captivity, but the children were only able to draw and play cards — and were cautioned not to make any noise.

“The most shocking, disturbing part of meeting her was she was just whispering, you couldn’t hear her. I had to put my ear on her lips. She’d been conditioned not to make any noise … You could just see glassy-eyed terror,” Hand said.


  Thomas Hand, 63, reunited with his daughter Emily over the weekend. Israel Army/AFP via Getty Images Thomas Hand, 63, reunited with his daughter Emily over the weekend. Israel Army/AFP via Getty Images

When asked how long she thought she was gone, Emily replied “a year,” her heartbroken father said.

Emily was let go alongside her friend Hila Rotem-Shoshani. The girls were held captive together alongside Hila’s mother, Raaya, who is still believed to be held in Hamas custody in the Gaza Strip.

“[Raaya] looked after them like her own two kids” until they were separated two days before the girls’ release, he told the outlet.


  Emily, 9, was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7. AP Emily, 9, was kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7. AP

Hand, 63, made international headlines last month when he initially was told that Emily — who was sleeping over at Hila’s house in Kibbutz Be’eri when Hamas attacked on Oct. 7 — had been killed.

At the time, the grieving father told reporters that his daughter dying was the “best possibility.”

Several weeks later, Hand learned that none of the remains at Be’eri were identified as Emily’s — and that she was now believed to be a hostage in Gaza.

The two shared an emotional reunion Saturday, Hand said.


  Emily (left) was returned alongside her friend Hila Rotem, 13. via REUTERS Emily (left) was returned alongside her friend Hila Rotem, 13. via REUTERS

“All of a sudden the door opened up and she just ran. It was beautiful, just like I had imagined it, running together. I probably squeezed her too hard,” he told CNN.

The family’s joy, however, was tempered by the slow revelations of what Emily endured during her eight weeks in Gaza.

“It was only when she stepped back that I could see her face was chiseled, like mine, whereas before it was chubby, girly, a young kid face,” Hand said of his daughter — who also came home with lice.

On the way home, however, “the first thing she did was get a Beyoncé song on,” Hand said.


  Emily (second from right) was kept safe by Hila’s mother, according to her dad (right). The mom is still in captivity. via Times of Israel Emily (second from right) was kept safe by Hila’s mother, according to her dad (right). The mom is still in captivity. via Times of Israel

Emily and Hila are now looking out for each other, he continued.

They celebrated Hila’s 13th birthday with a cake at the hospital on Monday and also had a cake to mark Emily’s ninth birthday, which she spent in Gaza on Nov. 17.

Emily lost her mother when she was 2, Hand explained.

When she returned, she was also faced with the death of her “second mom,” Hand’s former wife, Narkis Hand, who was killed by the terrorists in Kibbutz Be’eri.

“That was very hard. We told her and her little eyes glazed over and she took a sharp intake of breath,” Hand recalled.


  Hand and his daughter shared a joyful reunion after he was initially told that she had been killed. AP Hand and his daughter shared a joyful reunion after he was initially told that she had been killed. AP

  French Israeli citizen Eitan Yahalomi, 12, was also returned from Hamas custody over the weekend. via REUTERS French Israeli citizen Eitan Yahalomi, 12, was also returned from Hamas custody over the weekend. via REUTERS

Hand said he was also worried Emily would be mad that he did not rescue her from the terror attack.

At their reunion, however, Emily told her father that she worried he had been taken hostage as well

“Last night she cried until her face was red and blotchy, she couldn’t stop. She didn’t want any comfort, I guess she’s forgotten how to be comforted. She went under the covers of the bed, the quilt, covered herself up, and quietly cried,” Hand said.

“We’ll only know what she really went through as she opens up. I want to know so much information … but you have to let them, when they are ready, come out with it.”

Thomas Hand’s concerns for his daughter echo those of Devora Cohen, who told France’s BFMTV that her 12-year-old nephew, Eitan Yahalomi, was forced to watch videos of the Oct. 7 attack while he was held captive.

“[If the children cried] they threatened them with rifles to shut them up,” Cohen claimed.

“When he arrived in Gaza, all the residents, everyone, beat him. He is a 12-year-old child,” she added.


  Thomas Hand brought the family’s dog, Johnsie, to the reunion, he told CNN. AP Thomas Hand brought the family’s dog, Johnsie, to the reunion, he told CNN. AP

Eitan — who is a dual French Israeli citizen — was taken captive alongside his father, Ohad, who is still believed to be in custody in the Gaza Strip, the Times of Israel noted.

Going forward, Thomas Hand told CNN, his focus is on helping Emily’s recovery and fighting to return the rest of the hostages — including Raaya.

“We have to get Raaya back for Hila, back for Emily, back for justice. Don’t go silent on us now. Bring them home, bring them home,” he insisted.

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