‘Dr. Hamas’: Freed hostage Emily Damari recounts medical neglect in Gaza

Emily Damari: “I am truly at peace with my injury. I know there’s still a long road to recovery, but this time, I’m surrounded by family and friends who love me.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Freed hostage Emily Damari, whose injuries inspired the widely recognized hand gesture expressing solidarity with hostages, recounts medical neglect and inadequate care for her serious wounds during her captivity in Gaza but says she is making significant progress since her release.

During the attack on October 7, Damari was shot in the hand and leg and lost two fingers.

“Hamas provided me with no medical treatment except for an expired bottle of iodine and some bandages,” she said.

The lack of basic medical care and even clean water makes the fact that she didn’t suffer from a fatal infection a medical miracle, her mother, Mandy, said, adding that her daughter was “stitched up like a cushion.”

In an Instagram post, Damari shared more details of her first moments in Gaza and her recovery since her release.

“‘Hi, I’m Dr. Hamas,’ that’s what the doctor at Shifa [Hospital] told me before my ‘surgery.’ Seventeen months have passed since then, and now the moment I’ve been waiting for has finally arrived—the real surgery at Sheba Medical Center.”

“I remember sitting in Shifa on October 7, staring at a small window. My hand was shattered, and my leg was wounded from the bullet that had hit my beloved dog, Chucha, the most precious thing I had for 11 years.

“And then came that moment—they took me into the operating room, and right in front of me lay a corpse. I looked up and saw the blue sky that should have been gray on such a day. I prayed for God to watch over me. When I woke up, ‘Dr. Hamas’ told me I had lost two fingers, and my leg wound had been left open with only four stitches instead of sixteen.

“Today, after 17 months, I finally get to exchange Shifa for Sheba and receive the treatment I deserve,” she continued.

“I am truly at peace with my injury. I know there’s still a long road to recovery, but this time, I’m surrounded by family and friends who love me—that’s what really matters. I am proud of my disability, and with it, I will win.”