Thomas Hand, father of nine-year-old Emily, who was recently released by Islamic militant group Hamas, said his daughter is still experiencing trauma from her nearly two months in captivity.
Hand recounted his daughter's return in an interview with CNN.
According to Hand, his daughter would not speak louder than a whisper upon returning from Hamas' captivity. Hand later learned Emily, along with other children taken hostage, were allowed to interact and play card games, though would be beaten if they were not quiet.
“The most shocking, disturbing part of meeting her was she was just whispering, you couldn’t hear her," Hand said of his
daughter. "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,” he said, adding Emily believed she had been held captive for "a year," which Hand said felt like a "punch in the guts."
“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,” Hand said after reuniting with his daughter. “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.”
Upon her return home, Emily learned of the death of her "second mom," Narkis Hand, who was killed by Hamas during their invasion of Israel on Oct. 7.
“We told her and her little eyes glazed over and she took a sharp intake of breath,” Hand said.
The father noted Emily was still experiencing trauma from her time in captivity with Hamas.
“Last night she cried until her face was red and blotchy, she couldn’t stop," Hand said. "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 their family will only know what Emily experienced "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,” he added.
