Current:Home > Finance"Hell on earth": Father hopes for 8-year-old daughter's return after she's taken hostage by Hamas-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
"Hell on earth": Father hopes for 8-year-old daughter's return after she's taken hostage by Hamas
View Date:2024-12-24 10:47:35
In a situation that he describes as "hell on earth," Thomas Hand is enduring an agonizing wait for news about his 8-year-old daughter, Emily Hand, caught in the midst of a hostage crisis. Emily is feared to be among the more than 200 people, including around 30 children, taken by Hamas militants in the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
"It's a living nightmare," Hand told "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday.
Hand, who is originally from Ireland and has lived in Israel for the past three decades, said Emily was at a sleepover when the Hamas militant group attacked Israel in a coordinated, multi-fronted terror attack launched from the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian territory Hamas has controlled for years. He said he was initially told that Emily was killed, but the Israeli military later informed him that Emily was alive and they found no evidence that she was killed.
He said a witness claimed to have seen Emily being led away with others, indicating she was alive when taken.
Now, Hand clings to hope.
With her ninth birthday on Friday, Hand mourns the loss of simple joys his daughter should be experiencing, like celebrating her birthday with cake and friends, and is hoping she is released before then.
"She's down in the tunnels of Hamas. She's not gonna have a birthday party, cake, friends," he said. "The sad thing about it is, she won't even know what day it is. She won't know whether it's night or day. She won't even though it's her birthday."
Hand, who is in the U.S. seeking help in bringing his daughter home, is urging governments worldwide to pressure Hamas for the hostages' release.
"We have to fight, keep the pressure on all the governments of the world to keep the pressure on Hamas to release the hostages," he said. "It doesn't matter how sick I am. It doesn't matter how tired I am. We are going to get her back."
- In:
- Hostage Situation
- Hamas
- Israel
veryGood! (168)
Related
- As CFP rankings punish SEC teams, do we smell bias against this proud and mighty league?
- Noah Lyles tested positive for COVID-19 before winning bronze in men's 200
- Aaron Rodgers Shares Where He Stands With His Family Amid Yearslong Estrangement
- 15 states sue to block Biden’s effort to help migrants in US illegally get health coverage
- 'Yellowstone' premiere: Record ratings, Rip's ride and Billy Klapper's tribute
- Sam Edelman Shoes Are up to 64% Off - You Won’t Believe All These Chic Finds Under $75
- Nearly 1 in 4 Americans is deficient in Vitamin D. How do you know if you're one of them?
- Nelly arrested, allegedly 'targeted' with drug possession charge after casino outing
- The 10 Best Cashmere Sweaters and Tops That Feel Luxuriously Soft and Are *Most Importantly* Affordable
- Taylor Swift cancels Vienna Eras tour concerts after two arrested in alleged terror plot
Ranking
- College football Week 12 expert picks for every Top 25 game include SEC showdowns
- Doomed crew on Titan sub knew 'they were going to die,' lawsuit says
- Team USA's Grant Holloway wins Olympic gold medal in 110 hurdles: 'I'm a fireman'
- Why Zoë Kravitz & Channing Tatum's On-Set Relationship Surprised Their Blink Twice Costar Levon Hawke
- Deion Sanders says he would prevent Shedeur Sanders from going to wrong team in NFL draft
- The 10 college football transfers that will have the biggest impact
- 1 Mississippi police officer is killed and another is wounded in shooting in small town
- Inside an 'ambush': Standoff with conspiracy theorists left 1 Florida deputy killed, 2 injured
Recommendation
-
DWTS’ Sasha Farber and Jenn Tran Prove They're Closer Than Ever Amid Romance Rumors
-
Police shooting of Baltimore teen prompts outrage among residents
-
‘Alien: Romulus’ actors battled lifelike creatures to bring the film back to its horror roots
-
Pocket-sized creatures: Video shows teeny-tiny endangered crocodiles hatch
-
Women’s baseball players could soon have a league of their own again
-
A father lost his son to sextortion swindlers. He helped the FBI find the suspects
-
Harris and Walz head to Arizona, where a VP runner-up could still make a difference
-
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone runs away with 400-meter hurdles gold, sets world record