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TEL AVIV – Two freed hostages, Emily Damari and Romi Gonen, made an emotional return to the public stage on Saturday as they attended their first soccer game since their release, receiving a warm welcome at Tel Aviv’s Bloomfield Stadium.
The two women, who were held captive in Gaza for months, participated in a pre-match ceremony ahead of the Maccabi Tel Aviv-Hapoel Haifa game.
Damari, 28, a devoted Maccabi Tel Aviv supporter, and Gonen, 24, a Hapoel Haifa fan, walked onto the field alongside players and addressed the cheering crowd. Their appearance was met with standing ovations from fans of both teams.
Gonen expressed gratitude for the public’s support, saying, “Thank you for fighting for us. We need to fight so that the rest of the hostages return from Gaza.”
Damari, visibly moved, shared how her team’s victory while she was in captivity lifted her spirits. “I screamed even when I wasn’t allowed to,” she recalled, referring to Maccabi Tel Aviv’s championship win. She also acknowledged the club’s advocacy for her release, calling the team “a family” that had proven its loyalty in every moment.
However, she emphasized that the struggle is not over. “It’s been 526 days that Gali and Zivi, my loves, are being held in Gaza. I stand here today and swear—we will not stop until they return home.” Her plea referred to brothers Gali and Ziv Berman, who remain in captivity.
The emotional moment culminated with Damari leading the crowd in singing Maccabi’s anthem, “From the Day I Was Born.”
Gonen, meanwhile, was invited into Hapoel Haifa’s locker room before the game to meet the players. She expressed her appreciation, saying, “Thank you for fighting for me,” before seeing the team off onto the pitch.
A Symbolic Return to Normalcy
Both women were abducted on October 7 when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, kidnapping civilians from communities and events near the Gaza border.
Damari, a British-Israeli citizen, was taken from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. She was held captive alongside Gali Berman, a close friend who had rushed to her home during the attack. Berman’s twin brother, Ziv, was also kidnapped.
Gonen was abducted while trying to flee Hamas’s assault on the Supernova rave in the desert. Both women were released on January 19 as part of a temporary ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Freed Hostage Honored in Beersheba
Elsewhere, another freed hostage, Iair Horn, 46, was invited onto the pitch at Beersheba’s Turner Stadium before Hapoel Beersheba’s match against Maccabi Netanya.
The crowd erupted in applause as the announcer declared, “Iair, we love you, we are happy you are here, and together we wish for the release of [your brother] Eitan Horn and all the hostages.”
Horn recalled how, after being released from captivity following 498 days, he specifically requested to fly over the stadium in a helicopter on his way to the hospital. “When you return from captivity, of course you pass with a helicopter above Turner. No question,” he told reporters.
Horn was kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, where Hamas terrorists killed or kidnapped a quarter of the residents. His younger brother, Eitan, who was visiting for the holiday weekend, remains in captivity.
A Continuing Fight
Despite their return, all three freed hostages made it clear that their focus remains on those still being held in Gaza. Their presence at the soccer matches served as both a moment of healing and a powerful reminder of the ongoing fight to bring every hostage home.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members