Emily Damari speaks to 'Son of Hamas' Mosab Hassan Yousef about her captivity, meeting Hamas leader 'Izz a-Din al-Haddad

Released Israeli hostage Emily Damari recently hosted Mosab Hassan Yousef for a discussion outside her home in Kfar Aza, which was broadcast by Israel's Channel 12 News. 

During the conversation, Damari spoke about her time in Hamas captivity and shared details about the Hamas terrorist organization from her personal experience. 

She told Channel 12 that she wanted to meet Yousef since her release, and that she was interested in reading his biography, “Son of Hamas,” even before the Oct. 7 attack.

“I told Romi Gonen at the time that this book should be read. It's something I've heard of years ago and unfortunately, I didn't get to it before October 7," Emily said. “It could have brought me even sharper to the situation.” 

When asked, “When you returned, didn’t you want to push everything away?” Damari replied, “No. On the contrary, I want to study it more, not suppress it. Reading what this disturbed individual did is a privilege for us.”

She described how Yousef’s book helped her to understand what she experienced during her captivity – and the motivation of her captors. 

“When I got [back] here the first week, I said to one of my brothers, I really want the book 'Son of Hamas,’” Damari shared. “I've never been able to read, but with this book I got to the point where I was reading 60-70 pages in a row.” 

“When you’re there, and you see and experience what was there, these people, these monsters, and when you read this thing and learn from it, you say, ‘Wow, that's how they think, that's how they see,’” she explains. “Everything connects, it's like it's true. What's written there – it brings me back.” 

“Their ideology, their faith, he really talks about what they believe in and how they conduct themselves,” she continued. “That's why I'm here to see him and meet him.” 

“It is important for everyone to know that Izz Al Din Al Haddad is responsible for the fate of the hostages who are still kept in Gaza ," @MosabHasanYOSEF said to Captivity survivor Emily Damari .

Captivity survivor Emily Damari hosted @MosabHasanYOSEF , known as the "Green… pic.twitter.com/F1GCl7VCeC

— Iris (@streetwize) September 21, 2025

In the video of their meeting, it’s clear that both Yousef and Damari have immense respect for each other’s experiences, recognizing that an organization that hates them both is what has united them in this moment. 

After recounting the experience of her kidnapping, Damari told Yousef how she has been enjoying his book, and about how she met one of the figures mentioned in it, 'Izz ad-Din al-Haddad, who is believed to be the senior-most commander of Hamas in Gaza, following the elimination of his superiors. 

“I met him there when I was in captivity,” she told Yousef. “In the tunnels and the apartments, both of them. Upstairs and downstairs. It was his place, the tunnel we were in, it was his place.” 

She talked about Haddad, had come to speak to the hostages several times, and about his view that Israel should give him everything he is asking for. She said 'Izz ad-Din would talk about the founding figures of Hamas. 

“It’s very important for the audience to know a little bit about him, because this is the man in charge of the fate of the remaining hostages,” Yousef said. “What was he like?” 

“He was very hard with his soldiers,” Damari replied. “Very tough.” 

“He believes Israel should give him everything he wants,” she added, noting that the terror group leader wants to obtain the release of all the security prisoners from Israeli prisons. 

She related that Hamas wanted to capture “as many hostages as they could” in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. However, she also shared several surprising observations, noting that the Hamas fighters who entered Israel could not believe how far they had been able to penetrate and, in their shock, were unable to think clearly about their objectives.

Damari also told Yousef that Haddad is personally open to exile as a term of ending the conflict. 

Yousef replied to Damari, “I’m hoping that we can negotiate with this guy,” explaining his opinion that Haddad is the key to the negotiations. 

Yousef also told the former Israeli hostage that he believes Hamas has to be eliminated. “If it comes down to a face-off with my own family in a final battle, I wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate them.” 

Later in the interview, speaking in Tel Aviv, Damari told Yousef she is willing to “pay a lot of money to speak to Haddad to ask him what he truly wants, so that we can give it to him and take our brothers and one sister in captivity out.” 

“Do you think that Israel can negotiate with him?” Yousef asked. 

“Yes,” Damari responded. “He always said to us, ‘The door is always open for negotiations.” 

When Yousef asked about Haddad's willingness to accept exile, Damari responded that ‘Izz ad-Din had expressed to her and several other hostages that he would consider such a choice. 

“It’s the first time that I’m hearing this,” Yousef said. 

At the end of their conversation, Emily Damari and the “Son of Hamas,” Mosab Hassan Yousef are seen sitting on the beach, watching the sunset, and hoping for the freedom of the remaining hostages.