Tracy-Ann Oberman leads 'bring them home' chants at Hyde Park

More than 30,000 people gathered in Hyde Park today to mark the one-year anniversary of the October 7 atrocity during which 1,195 people were mercilessly killed and 255 were kidnapped.

Actress, Tracy Ann Oberman, former Home Secretary, Suella Braverman and MP Robert Jenrick stood beside the pro-Israel demonstrators as they waved flags and chanted 'bring them home', demanding the release of the 101 Israeli hostages still held by Hamas.

Mandy Damari, 63, the mother of the only remaining British hostage - Emily Damari - spoke publicly for the first time about the ‘nightmare’ of life after her daughter, 28, was taken hostage from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Azar almost a year ago.

Emily - a Tottenham Hotspur fan - was at her home when terrorists murdered her dog, a golden cockapoo named Choocha, shot her in the hand, blindfolded her and forcibly drove her to Gaza.

Speaking in front of tens of thousands of British Jews and their allies an impassioned and teary Mandy said: ‘Since the 7th October last year, [my daughter Emily Damari] has been held a hostage by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza terror tunnels, 20 metres or more underground, kept in captivity, tortured, unable to eat, speak or even move without someone else’s permission.

‘One year has passed and she is still in hell.

‘Why isn’t the whole world, especially Britain, fighting every moment to obtain Emily’s release.

‘She is one of their own. ‘My beautiful, funny and brave daughter, who I love to the moon and back.

‘I need to hug her again.

‘Each one of the hostages is a daughter, a son, a grandchild, a mother, a father or grandparent to others. They need to be released.’

Mandy - a nursery school teacher born in Surrey, England - has spent the past year travelling around the world meeting officials and desperately lobbying for Emily’s release.

Also speaking at the vigil was EastEnders star Tracey-Ann Oberman, Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mervis, Israeli Ambassador Tzipi Hotovely and President of the Board of Deputies Philip Rosenberg.    

During the event attendees sang the British and Israeli national anthems, conducted a minute’s silence and held up thousands of memorial candles to remember the victims of the sadistic terror attacks as pictures of Hamas’ hundreds of victims were projected onto an enormous screen.

Chants of ‘Bring Them Home Now’ and ‘Am Yisrael Chai - ‘The Jewish People Will Live’ could be heard ringing throughout the crowd during proceedings as people waved Israeli and British flags in the air and held up missing posters with the faces of the remaining hostages.

Amongst those attending the moving ceremony was former Home Secretary Suella Braverman who said: ‘I am standing here as a friend of Israel as she fights for freedom and civilisation.

‘I’m very disappointed with the Labour Government and its lack of support for our ally Israel.

‘Sir Keir’s Government is the first to impose an arms embargo on Israel as it fights for its life on multiple fronts.

‘But today is about remembrance.

‘And during today’s minute’s silence to commemorate the loss of life I will be thinking about the remaining hostages and in particular I will think about the last British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari - whose mother I have met.’

Former hostage Ada Sagi, 75, who was released during the November hostage exchange and ceasefire deal, was invited on stage with her British son Noam Sagi to light a memorial candle to remember the Kibbutzniks slain. 

Speaking at the event Ms Oberman said 'we must not forget our humanity', adding it was 'heartening' to see so many people in attendance.

She told the PA news agency: 'I'm here today because it's about memorial and remembrance.

'It's about remembering the terrorist attack on October 7. It's about remembering our dead and it's about remembering our hostages, some of whom are still alive and who we desperately want to bring home.

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'It's very heartening (to see so many people). I think we needed it for our community and our allies.

'We've got amazing allies who have understood the trauma of this year. And it means the world that we've come together as a community, as a people who are suffering loss. It means a lot that we are here to remember those who have fallen and those we really want to get back.

'My message today is of community. Of standing together of remembering our humanity - humanity for everyone, but also especially today, remembering those who were massacred on October 7 and the hostages who are still in captivity who we desperately need to bring back.

'We must not forget humanity. Humanity for everyone who is suffering. That is the Jewish way.'

The remembrance event in London comes after another day of violence in the Middle East. 

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An Israeli strike on a mosque in the Gaza Strip early Sunday killed at least 19 people, Palestinian officials said, as Israel intensified its bombardment of northern Gaza and southern Beirut in a widening war with Iran-allied militant groups across the region.

Israel is still battling Hamas in Gaza a year after the group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and has opened a new front in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which has been trading fire with Israel along the border since the war in Gaza began. 

Israel has also vowed to strike Iran itself after Tehran launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel last week.

The widening conflict risks further drawing in the United States, which has provided crucial military and diplomatic support to Israel. Iran-allied militant groups in Syria, Iraq and Yemen have already joined in with long-distance strikes on Israel.

A stabbing and shooting attack at the central bus station in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba left one person dead and 10 others wounded, according to first responders. 

Police did not identify the assailant but said they were treating it as a terror attack.