SIR Keir Starmer’s plan to recognise Palestine as a state is “insane”, the father of hostage Emily Hand has blasted.
Embattled father Thomas, who said he and his young daughter will forever be traumatised by October 7, warned it will only serve to “embolden” Hamas.
Thomas said daughter Emily is now ‘doing amazing’ after her ordealSupplied
ReutersEmily was reunited with her dad after 50 days in captivity[/caption]
The youngster was snatched by Hamas while on a sleepover at her friend’s house
He said they constantly now live in fear of a repeat of the atrocity – and warned Britain recognising Palestine as a state is a “carrot” and “reward” for the evil terror group.
Brave Thomas told The Sun: “I am shocked. Previous governments have agreed that it would not be in the best interests of peace.
“It’s rewarding terrorist actions. It’s absolutely insane.”
Sir Keir last week outlined the government’s route to recognising Palestine as a state last week.
The PM vowed the UK would act by the end of September – unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire, allows humanitarian aid into Gaza, halts West Bank annexation plans, and commits to serious peace talks.
But Donald Trump, political rivals of the Labour leader and the families of hostages are among the chorus of voices slapping down the move.
Thomas, 65, added: “All the pressure is on Israel – you must do this or the UK will recognise a Palestinian state.
“That’s like a stick to us, but it’s like a carrot to them. [They think] let’s carry on with this war.
“They were two days to a peace deal and then [they] came out with this statement and that peace deal went off the table.
“It emboldens them. It reinforces them. It’s a very shameful decision.”
Fighting back tears, Thomas insisted not enough is being done to bring back the remaining 50 hostages – 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
He believes Sir Keir’s plan could throw their chances of rescue into jeopardy.
And Thomas said he and daughter Emily – who spent 50 days in Hamas’ clutches – fear Hamas could launch a similar attack to October 7.
Emily, 10, and her dad are among countless innocents who have been left permanently scarred by the unspeakable horror they were put through that day.
But despite the hell they suffered, Thomas believes his family were among the “lucky” ones.
He said: “I had my eight-year-old daughter kidnapped for 50 days, the mother of my two older children murdered. We got away lightly.
“One of my best friends – Leanne Sharabi – and her two teenage kids, executed.
“They [Hamas] had too many hostages that day, so the orders went out to kill them. Don’t take anymore back, just kill them.
“There were whole families wiped out.
“Crazy statements, but only losing my ex-wife and I thought I’d lost my daughter, I consider it lucky. Crazy statements.”
Will there be a peace deal?
AS of August 2025, a lasting Israel-Hamas peace deal hangs in the balance.
A January 19 ceasefire saw 25 Israeli hostages and 1,900 Palestinian prisoners freed, but collapsed by March 18 after Israeli airstrikes killed over 400 in Gaza.
July’s US-backed 60-day truce push aimed to free remaining hostages and spark permanent talks, but stalled in Cairo.
Hamas demands a full Israeli withdrawal; Israel insists on Hamas disarming.
With 90 Palestinians killed in recent strikes and both sides dug in—Israel on security, Hamas on ending the war—talks teeter.
Mediators see glimmers of hope, but mistrust and clashing red lines keep peace elusive.
Dublin-born Thomas – who grew up in London – travelled to Israel three decades ago to volunteer on a kibbutz near Gaza.
He had two children with wife Narkis before they split and then had Emily with new partner Liat, who died of breast cancer when Emily was two.
Narkis, 52, was killed on October 7 when 400 Hamas thugs rampaged through the Be’eri kibbutz.
Emily was on a sleepover at a pal’s home when she was snatched and Thomas survived by barricading himself inside a safe room for 19 hours.
The youngster – who was rushed from house-to-house by Hamas fighters during gun battles with Israeli troops – turned nine while in Gaza before her release.
She ran into her dad’s open arms after 50 days in captivity traumatised and broken.
Now 10-years-old, Thomas said Emily will forever be affected by her ordeal – and that he can no longer shield her from the inhumanity hostages are still suffering.
Last week, warped Hamas released harrowing footage of two starved, pale and broken hostages – Evyatar David, 24, and Rom Braslavski, 21.
Thomas Hand has hit out at Sire Keir Starmer’s proposal to recognise the Palestinian stateLouis Wood – Commissioned by The Sun.
AFPIsraeli hostage Evyatar David looking weak and malnourished[/caption]
Rom Braslavski, 21, was seen in tears as he’s held captive by Hamas terrorists
“At first I obviously totally protected her from seeing stuff like that,” Thomas said.
“But more over time she wanted to see. She almost has to see.
“Every child in the country knows what’s going on. Some of them were involved in it.
“Emily wants to see how our hostage are doing, surviving.”
After her release, Emily’s weight had crashed, her clothes and hair were matted and filthy and she was unable to speak in more than a whisper.
But Thomas told how Emily is now “doing amazing” and that they are doing everything they can to “bring her back to a normal childhood”.
He added: “She’s having fun, surfing loads and horse riding.
“She’s put on her weight, she’s out in the sun, she’s getting tanned. She’s doing childish, girly things again.
“But she will always be that little bit more mature than all her friends the same age.
“She’s been through something no child, no human being, should ever be through.”
It comes as Israel said Friday it will intensify the 22-month war with Hamas by taking over Gaza City – renewing international calls for an end to the conflict.
It will likely require mobilising thousands of troops and forcibly evacuating civilians.
Recognising Palestinian state now would only serve to embolden extremists who want to bring terror to UK streets
By John Woodcock
THE images of hunger coming out of Gaza are horrendous.
No one could fail to be appalled by the suffering of Palestinians being beamed across the world.
The conflict was triggered by the massacre, rape and hostage-taking of Israeli civilians by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.
But Israel’s response to eliminate the threat of Hamas is taking a terrible toll on ordinary Palestinians.
Some of the most gruesome pictures of malnourished children seem to be manipulated by the Hamas propaganda department, but nearly everyone involved agrees the food shortage in Gaza is real and acute.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is clearly personally deeply moved by the unfolding tragedy and is also being pressured by many of his own Labour MPs to follow the lead of French President Emmanuel Macron, who wants France and others formally to recognise Gaza and the West Bank as the nation state of Palestine at a UN conference on the issue in September.
Yesterday, Sir Keir appeared to give in to that pressure. After an emergency cabinet meeting, the Government announced that the UK will recognise Palestine as a state — unless Israel meets a list of conditions before the conference.
You might be forgiven for thinking the Government’s announcement could give a desperate situation a helpful push at a critical time.
After all, the UK and the rest of the international community have long believed that the only way to secure peace and justice for Israelis and Palestinians is to create an independent state of Palestine alongside Israel.
As a former chair of Labour Friends of Israel, I have long campaigned for a “two-state solution” to replace the perpetually unstable, messy situation that has developed since the establishment of Israel in 1948.
But right now? Definitely not.
Sir Keir must urgently think again, or he will squander what little influence Britain has on this dire situation.
Those who have pushed for the UK to make the gesture of giving Palestine full democratic recognition now tend to believe Israel is squarely to blame for the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
They ignore the reality that Hamas systematically diverts aid from its own people.
Many are taken in by the grotesque lie that Israel itself wants a genocide of Palestinians.
When in fact the country is threatened by genocidal terrorists committed to wiping Israel off the map.
So they think the UK should do whatever it can to stop Israel in its tracks.
But even if you believe the anti-Israel falsehoods from Hamas, recognising Palestinian statehood now would do nothing whatsoever to influence Israel’s approach.
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