Delighted for Emily Hand

[Cashncarry68]

..and her family. Her story is one that resonated with many people. If that were my little girl, I would never let her out of my sight. I expect her parents realise what a blessing really does now look like.

I am so happy to see her return. I hope she heals quickly and the light appears in her eyes again.

I think the little girl she was staying with was returned, but not her mother (breaking the agreement that families wouldn't be split).

I can't imagine Leo was referencing gospel. He grew up in a Catholic home but does not describe himself as religious.

Badly worded tweet, but the whole statement was fine.

Absolutely. After the horror of that day and the way women and girls in particular were treated, the thought of this scenario must have been unbearable.

I got the reasoning, but his manner was very odd.

Of course his manner was odd.

My 'manner' would be odd for the rest of my life if my child had been caught up in that pogram and I thought she'd been barbarically killed by savage men, nevermind 24 hours after it.

Took the words out of my mouth

I really, really dislike people criticising attitudes/reactions of people who have gone through something traumatic. Let alone something as absolutely unfathomable as believing your young daughter has been kidnapped, fearing she may be sexually abused, and then being lead to believe she has died. I cannot even begin to imagine, let alone dictate the correct way to respond.

Wow. Given what had happened, I wonder how you think he should have behaved

His ex wife (and mother of Emily's siblings) was definitely murdered on Oct 7 though, any Google of Narkis Hand will confirm that

Yes, she was, very sadly.

Not in front of Emily though (thankfully).

Your post had so many inaccuracies - that she didn't live with her father, that she will be moved to Ireland now, that she saw her father's ex-wife (that you also wrongly believe raised her - she seems to have had a warm relationship with her, typical of kibbutz living but she was certainly raised by her dad) murdered (she must have witnessed terrible things, but this doesn't appear to be the case.

Seriously?

Of course he doesn't regret it. He was speaking from grief, and acknowledging the awful possibilities of what might have befallen her if captured.

Finding out she was alive of course, and naturally, shifted his perspective to having her back safe and well.

Amazing that you can pick this point to comment on.

Exactly this.

Sorry, yes, I know you are all right. It was just that smiling "Yess!" that I found a bit strange, apparently he regretted it later.

I think if I’d been in the middle of the community that experienced that horrendous attack where people were tortured and killed, and women raped and paraded, I might express relief that my 8 year old daughter hadn’t been taken off by the men who did it, even if the other option was a swift death.

His comments made me think about which group I’d have preferred my DD to be in. A terrible, unthinkable choice.

His comment is the same as many parents - most of us would prefer a child dead to suffering terribly and possibly even killed after that. The first thing most bereaved parents ask police is if their child suffered before death. I am glad she is safe with her father who cared for her until 7 October. I hope the world never forgets what Hamas has done. I understand they are not now sure where all the hostages are as they went with various groups and apparently (this may be lies from Hamas of course) when they cut the border cross various people went over and took children - this is probably just Hamas minimising its role but even in tightly controlled kidnaps by terrorists in the Middle East they often do transfer victims to other groups for money.

@Clawdy so you know he regrets it. So why post?

Natali Hand, Emily's half sister, says that Emily had her own bedroom at her mother's house, and spent much of her time there. Ivm still quite confused why she wouldn't just live with her own father full time - it made me assume that he must not have been living there permanently. I guess, as you say, maybe it's more normal within a kibbutz community.

And now that lovely woman who took in and cared for her ex husband's new child is dead as well. It's all just awful.

it made me assume

@CeilingWacks

Maybe just ...don't? You made some pretty big leaps, including the one where Emily saw her de facto mother (by your account) murdered.

Your assumptions are quite shocking; deciding without evidence Emily had no relationship with her father (that she actually lived with).

I'm delighted that she's back. She looked very healthy thank goodness and I'm so pleased that her family has her back. It's fantastic to have something positive to report about children in this conflict after over 6000 children have been killed.

I think the cameras filming her reunion with her sister were unnecessary. She looked nervous of them.

I also think the Israeli government's reaction to Varadkar's tweet was one of the more ridiculous things I've seen on twitter lately, and that's saying something.

I think Varadkar's comment was ridiculous.

Lost?

It's not like her family forgot to pick her up in the Brent Cross shopping centre.

Lost because for a few weeks she was dead.

Found because she then turned out to be alive and was returned.

I honestly don't understand how people are offended by this. It's nearly like Israel is offended by anything Ireland does or says.

Lost because for a few weeks she was dead

She was neither lost nor found.

She was kidnapped and then she was released, not returned.

You are minimising the hostage taking with your use of languages. Words matter.

Who told her father she was dead?

and is it possible that perhaps others believed to be dead are alive ?

It's not minimizing anything. Everyone knows she was kidnapped. It's a turn of phrase.

Yes, you are.

Are you American, BTW?

I think she ran to a neighbour's house and was subsequently taken hostage with them (mother and three kids). They have just been released too, so I'm assuming that mother looked after Avigail. I went down a rabbit hole looking at her story as my child is about the same age. Unimaginable.

Walk a mile in Mr Hand's shoes, then you know how you will react. Hopefully none if us will never find out.

I absolutely do not judge Tom Hand for what he said. I think it was perfectly reasonable in the circumstances, but even if it were not, there is no ideal behaviour in that situation. I hope the Hand family has only peace and joy for the rest of their lives.