Thomas Hand, the father of 9-year-old ex-hostage Emily, teared up on live television Monday after learning about the death of two hostages.
Hand appeared with his daughter on the Piers Morgan Uncensored show to talk about the Israel-Hamas War and their traumatic experiences. During the show, the host, Piers Morgan, told Thomas that they just learned that Hamas released a video alleging to show the bodies of two hostages. (RELATED: IDF Releases Video Of Tunnel Complex Hamas Used To Hold Hostages)
Hamas claimed that the two bodies were those of Yossi Sharabi and Itai Svirsky and repeatedly claimed that the two were killed by Israel.
“It is an absolute nightmare,” Thomas responded to the news in a video segment released by the show on Twitter. When Piers Morgan named the two hostages that were killed, Thomas said, “No” and started to cry. His 9-year-old daughter could be seen during the video wiping “away her father’s tears.”
Emily Hand, 9, wipes away her father’s tears as he finds out one of the Hamas hostages who was held captive alongside her has been killed.
Watch more of Piers Morgan’s powerful interview with Thomas Hand at 8pm (UK): https://t.co/dN4dimJCmf@piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMU pic.twitter.com/SKZEq6feeU
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) January 15, 2024
When Thomas composed himself, he told Morgan that Svirsky “was with Emily for the whole duration of her captivity” and that “there was nothing wrong with him [Svirsky].” Thomas shared his opinion that it was Hamas who killed the hostages and blamed Israel.
Emily was released from Hamas captivity on Nov. 28 following a temporary ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas. Thomas told the press that upon reuniting with his daughter, she told him that she thought that he was also taken hostage by Hamas. “She didn’t know what the hell happened that morning. So, she presumed everyone is kidnapped or killed or slaughtered. She had no idea,” Thomas said.
Thomas initially was informed that his daughter was killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7 terrorist attack. “She was either dead or in Gaza, and if you know anything about what they do to people in Gaza, that is worse than death, that is worse than death,” Thomas recalled.