9-Year-Old Hostage Emily Hand's Birthday Marked with Nationwide Billboards

Father Continues Plea for Daughter's Return Amid Ongoing Hamas Hostage Crisis

Emily Hand, a 9-year-old Irish-Israeli girl, is being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, along with an estimated 240 other hostages.
Emily's father, Thomas Hand, was initially told she had been killed during the Hamas attack on Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, but later learned she was alive and had been taken hostage.
Emily's ninth birthday on November 17 was marked by billboards across America, including in Times Square, displaying her picture and the message 'Today is Emily's 9th birthday & 41st day as a hostage.'
Emily's father has been advocating for her return, stating 'We will get her back.' and has been part of media interviews and campaigns to raise awareness of the hostages' plight.
Negotiations are reportedly ongoing for the release of the hostages in exchange for a pause in Israeli attacks on Gaza, but no agreement has been reached yet.