Irish-Israeli girl Emily Hand is "even stronger than she was before", almost one year on from being abducted by Hamas during the 7 October attacks in Israel, her father Tom Hand has said.
She had been held hostage in Gaza for 50 days, after being kidnapped while at a sleepover in Kibbutz Be'eri with her friend Hila. She was one of 250 people taken that day.
Since her return during a brief truce last November, Emily has been receiving therapy to cope with the trauma of captivity, what she witnessed on the day of the attack and the loss of loved ones, including Mr Hand's former wife who was like a second mother to Emily.
"In some ways she’s even stronger than she was before," he said. "It’s given her inner strength, knowing that she dealt with what the Hamas threw at her."
Mr Hand said Emily has made good progress in her recovery, and she now attends school and is making friends. But the psychological scars remain.
"She’s ok to go outside alone, but inside - no. If I’m not in the house, she won’t come in."
For many, Emily was the face of the Israeli hostage situation.
The abduction of a child so young propelled her father into the centre of global attention. He initially thought she was dead after being told that her body had been found.
At the time, he said he felt relieved, hoping that she had died quickly.
"So when I found out then 30 days later that she was alive, it was, it was an awful feeling now knowing that she was in there. But again, there was hope of her coming out."
After months of moving from one place of temporary accommodation to another, carrying only a few belongings and the family dog, Emily and her father are settling in Kibbutz Hatzerim which welcomed displaced residents of their community of kibbutz Be’eri.
Thomas said that only when it is safe to do so, they will go back to Kibbutz Be’eri, which is only a few kilometres away from Gaza.
"A year on, we’re still refugees," Mr Hand said. "We’re still under threat from the Hamas daily, now we’ve got from the Hezbollah on the north, and from the West Bank. There’s nowhere safe in Israel anymore."
