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Romi Gonen and Emily Damari - Two Wounded Hostages Forged a Bond of Survival

(Ynet News) Ziv Koren - Romi Gonen, 24, and Emily Damari, 28, both wounded, were held together in Gaza for 431 days. Romi: "Imagine sitting for a year and five months with an arm injury that renders you completely unable to function and in constant, severe pain." Emily lost two fingers. She said: "When we did the laundry, it was one of her hands and one of mine. When we washed the dishes, it was one of her hands and one of mine. When we let off steam by kickboxing each other, it was one of her hands and one of mine." "Even after we got out, we weren't separated. We were in rooms next to each other at the hospital, then at the hotel, then during surgery, and now in rehab together. While the rest of the world is moving on, Romi and I are still living October 7, still putting together our pieces, still healing, still hurting, still comforting each other." Romi: "Two wounded girls, two working hands, and two souls bleeding. That's how our journey began. Over time, a kind of cosmic bond formed between us. We were each other's light in the darkest, most horrific place....We were each other's refuge in the moments that shattered us, when we couldn't imagine standing back up again....Emily was the light at the end of my tunnel when I lost hope."
2025-04-17 00:00:00
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