Nov. 28: Danielle Aloni and her daughter Emilia, 5, were held hostage by Hamas for 49 days in besieged Gaza. On November 24, the Israeli mother and daughter were released as part of a temporary ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel and reunited with their relatives.
Before they left Gaza, Danielle Aloni wrote a “thank you” letter to Hamas saying, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your extraordinary humanity shown towards my daughter, Emilia.”
Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, reportedly shared the letter on its official Telegram account at 1649 GMT on Monday. The letter, originally written in Hebrew and accompanied by an Arabic translation, along with a photograph of the Israeli mother and her daughter, is now viral on social media. We reproduce English translation of this letter hereunder:
“To the generals who have accompanied me in recent weeks, it seems we will part ways tomorrow, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your extraordinary humanity shown towards my daughter, Emilia.
“You were like parents to her, inviting her into your rooms whenever she desired. She (Emilia) acknowledges feeling like all of you are her friends, not just friends, but truly beloved and good.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you for the many hours you spent as caregivers.
“Thank you for being patient with her and showering her with sweets, fruits, and everything available even when it was not.
“Children should not be in captivity, but thanks to you and other kind people we met along the way, my daughter felt like a queen in Gaza…
“In general, she acknowledges feeling like the center of the world. She hasn’t met anyone on our long journey, from the rank and file to the leadership, who didn’t treat her with gentleness, affection, and love.
“I will forever be a prisoner of gratitude because she did not leave here with a lifelong psychological trauma.
“I will remember your kind behavior, granted here despite the difficult situation you were dealing with yourselves and the severe losses you suffered here in Gaza. I wish in this world we could truly be good friends.
“I wish you all health and well-being… Health and love to you and your families’ children.
“Many thanks.
“Danielle and Emilia”
