Gaza ceasefire: The British families of Israel hostages waiting for news
Of nearly 100 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas, 33 are to be released in stages during the first phase of the ceasefire deal.
Thursday 16 January 2025 14:09, UK
As the world watches to see if a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas will hold, British families of hostages still being held in Gaza will be among those anxiously waiting for news of their loved ones.
Of the 94 hostages still believed to be held by Hamas, 33 are to be released in stages during the first phase of the deal, which could begin on Sunday.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said it has been a period of "unbearable trauma" for the hostages and their families, and added: "We will play our full part in the coming days and weeks, working alongside our partners, to seize this chance for a better future."
Of the hostages who have not yet been returned home, it is believed one is a British citizen, while others have family members living in the UK.
Emily Damari
Emily Damari, 28, grew up in southeast London and moved to Israeli during her 20s, where she fell in love and raised a family on the Kfar Aza kibbutz.
She was abducted during the 7 October Hamas attack when she was "shot in the hand, injured by shrapnel in her leg, blindfolded, bundled into the back of her own car, and driven back to Gaza", according to her mother.
Speaking in December, Mandy Damari said she wants "solutions not sympathy" and called on the UK government to do more.
She added that although she had not had confirmation of the fact that her daughter was alive for months, she was confident she was still alive in captivity.
Eli Sharabi
Eli Sharabi, his wife and their two children were taken captive when Hamas militants raided Be'eri kibbutz on 7 October, 2023.
His wife Lianne Sharabi was born in Bristol. In the more than 15 months since the attack, her family have said that she and their two daughters, 16-year-old Noiya and 13-year-old Yahel, were killed by Hamas.
Mr Sharabi, 52, is believed to remain in Hamas captivity.
Read more:
What's in the ceasefire deal?
The Israel-Hamas war in numbers
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Oded Lifschitz
Oded Lifschitz, 84, who has a British-Israeli daughter, was taken from Nir Oz kibbutz alongside his wife, Yocheved.
While she was freed in late October 2023, he still has not returned home.
His daughter Sharone, who lives in London, told the BBC that she hopes her father is still alive.
"Miracles do happen," she said.
His grandson Daniel, discussing the possibility that his grandfather could be involved in hostage release deal, told Sky News: "For more than a year we don't know anything about a grandfather who fought all his life for peace, for co-existence."
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Avinatan Or
Avinatan Or, 31, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival with his girlfriend Noa Argamani, and they were separated as they were taken away.
She was rescued by Israeli forces in June last year, but her boyfriend remains in Hamas captivity.
Mr Or's mother, Ditza, who is a British-Israeli citizen, has been vocal in calling for her son's return.
"Avinatan is my age - he has his whole life ahead of him," British MP Jack Rankin said, when he raised Mr Or's plight in Parliament in January 2025.