Emily Damari is the only British-Israeli citizen still being held by Hamas in Gaza, and is expected to be freed on Sunday during the first phase of the ceasefire deal.

Ms Damari, now 28, was shot and abducted on Oct 7 2023 in the Kfar Aza kibbutz after Hamas gunmen stormed her home. She was taken along with 37 other residents.

Mandy Damari, her British mother, said that her daughter had been “shot in the hand, injured by shrapnel in her leg, blindfolded, bundled into the back of her own car, and driven back to Gaza”.

Some 98 hostages are still in captivity in Gaza. Under the new ceasefire and release deal, 33 will be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel jails over six weeks.

Ms Damari is one of the three hostages expected to be released on Sunday – more small groups will continue to be freed at regular intervals over the following six weeks.