Israel slams Irish PM after Hamas releases 9-year-old Emily Hand
Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokeswoman, slammed Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar on sunday for his remark on the release of nine-year-old Irish-Israeli hostage Emily Hand. Varadkar said in a statement posted on X on saturday that an "innocent child who was lost has now been found and returned," and that "we breathe a massive sign of relief."
"Our prayers have been answered," stated Varadkar.
In response to Varadkar's X tweet, Levy stated that Hand was "brutally abducted by the death squads that massacred her neighbors."
"She wasn't 'discovered.'" Hamas had known where she was all along and had used her as a cynical hostage. And Hamas did not respond to your pleas. "It responded to Israeli military pressure," Levy wrote.
"Without Israel's military pressure on Hamas, which ireland shamefully referred to as something approaching revenge,' Emily Hand would still be a Hamas hostage." "It's not that Hamas 'was blind, but now it sees' (if the preceding statement is an allusion to Amazing Grace)," Levy continued.
Israel and ireland have extremely difficult relations. After Hamas launched a surprise attack on israel on october 7, Varakdar condemned the attack, which killed over 1,200 people and took 240 captives. However, the Irish prime minister became one of the few european authorities to raise the alarm, according to Al Jazeera.
"Israel doesn't have the right to do wrong," Varakdar added, using a play on words at a time when other european politicians were emphasizing Israel's "right" to self-defense during its bombing assault on Gaza, the Hamas-ruled territory.
Who is Emily Hand?
Emily Hand was one of roughly 240 persons kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on october 7 when they stormed over Gaza's militarised data-border with Israel.
Hamas freed a second batch of Israeli and international citizens held hostage in Gaza on saturday in return for Palestinian inmates. According to Israeli officials, 13 Israelis, including Emily, and four Thai citizens have returned to Israel.
Emily turned nine earlier last month while imprisoned.
Hamas freed a second batch of Israeli and international citizens held hostage in Gaza on saturday in return for Palestinian inmates. According to Israeli officials, 13 Israelis, including Emily, and four Thai citizens have returned to Israel.
Emily turned nine earlier last month while imprisoned.