The half-sister of an Irish-Israeli girl feared kidnapped in Gaza has said the family is living a “constant nightmare”.
Emily Hand was originally feared dead after the Hamas assault on Kibbutz Be’eri in Israel on October 7.
However, the eight-year-old’s family have been informed she may still be alive and being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Emily’s father, Thomas, is originally from Dublin.
Natalie Hand, her half-sister, said the family has got hope back after initially being told Emily was dead.
We have no tears left. We’re just broken. And now we got hope back and we are strong now, and we’ll do anything— Natalie Hand
“We’ve been informed by the military and other authorities that the first line was that she’s kidnapped and alive, and they have a few intelligence, that they get all the sources combined and then they cross all the information together, we don’t know exactly the details, but we do know she’s kidnapped,” she told RTE Radio One.
“We just want to get her back and she’s an Irish citizen, and we’re asking all the help we can from you guys (in Ireland).”
She added: “If there’s a high possibility (of her being alive), even a small one, I will do everything I can to get her back.”
Ms Hand, whose own mother was killed in the Hamas attacks, said the family had been on a “hell of a rollercoaster” since October 7.
“Grieving about my mom and her, and just, you know, we’re like zombies,” she said.
“We have no tears left. We’re just broken. And now we got hope back and we are strong now, and we’ll do anything.”
Ms Hand said she had never been to her father’s homeland.
“I’ve never been there but I’m going to, I have to, hopefully with my sister, my father and my brother,” she said.
“I have too many videos of her laughing and speaking. I want to hear that again. I just want to say ‘Emily we’re on the way’ and we will have her back, I know that.”
Ireland’s justice minister has said Irish authorities are making every effort possible to assist in securing the release of Emily.
Helen McEntee said the Hand family were going through an “absolutely unimaginable” experience.
The minister provided an update on the case as she spoke to reporters in Dublin on Monday morning.
She described the situation as a “changing and dynamic environment”.
“I think it has been confirmed that it is now believed that Emily is alive and obviously every effort, everything that can be done will be done to ensure that she is released and that she is safe,” Ms McEntee said.
“But this has been a hugely traumatic experience for her family. First, believing that she had passed away, and now potentially that not being the case.
“So I think we need to be very sensitive to the fact that this is a changing and dynamic environment for all involved.
“Every effort, every single thing that can be done, will be done. We also know that there are many other Irish citizens on the ground in Gaza who are trying to leave and we obviously want them to be able to get out and to get home and to be safe.”
Around 35-40 Irish passport holders remain in Gaza amid intense diplomatic efforts to secure their passage out of the enclave via the Rafah crossing to Egypt.
No Irish citizens have so far been included on the approved lists of international passport holders who have left via the crossing.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said the Government is doing its “best” to get Irish citizens out of Gaza.
Speaking to reporters in Co Cork, Mr Varadkar said: “There are in and around 40 Irish citizens in Gaza and we’re doing our best to get them out.
“We’re doing that through contact with the Israeli authorities, but also with governments in the area who may have influence, the government of Egypt, the government of Jordan.
“The Tanaiste (deputy premier Micheal Martin) has been in touch with Iranian authorities too.
“So, very much top of our mind at the moment, these Irish citizens held in Gaza for one reason or another, and very much a priority for us to do anything we can to facilitate their release.”
Mr Varadkar also stood by comments he made last week when he said some of Israel’s actions in Gaza were not just self-defence and resembled “something more approaching revenge”.
He said he did not believe the comments had hampered diplomatic relations with Israel and efforts to secure the exit of Irish citizens from Gaza.
Israel has a right to defend itself, but it has to do so in a way that’s proportionate and in line with humanitarian law— Leo Varadkar
Asked if he regretted using the word revenge, he replied: “I don’t, no.”
He later said: “When the Tanaiste and I take the positions that we do, we do so because we think it’s the right thing.
“Ultimately, this is about civilians, Israeli civilians who died and were injured, and also Palestinians who are now experiencing a very difficult situation.
“We’ve always taken a view since day one that we condemn Hamas’s attack unequivocally, no excuse for it whatsoever.
“Israel has a right to defend itself, but it has to do so in a way that’s proportionate and in line with humanitarian law.”
