The 9-year-old was kidnapped by Hamas and released in a hostage-for-prisoner exchange.
Emily Hand, an Irish-Israeli 9-year-old who spent her 9th birthday in Hamas captivity after being kidnapped on October 7, was invited to attend a Beyonce concert, according to the Algemeiner.
Emily’s father had previously stated that he was determined to restore some of his daughter’s spirits by taking her to a concert by her favorite singer. Emily is said to have been struggling to readjust after being traumatized from her time in Gaza.
Emily’s father told Channel 12 “One thing I’m determined to do when she recovered enough, I’m gonna find out where and if Beyonce is touring, and I don’t care where it is in the world, she’s going. She adores her.” He also told CNN that upon her release, “the first thing she did was get a Beyoncé song on.”
Senior people in the entertainment world said they would make sure to book tickets and pay for Emily’s flight and accommodations if she was interested in going to a Beyonce concert.
Held by Hamas and traumatized
In an interview with CNN, Emily’s father said that his daughter had believed her mother was a hostage. Emily was informed after her release that her mother had been murdered during Hamas’s October 7 terror attack.
It was initially believed that Emily had been killed in the attack as well, for which her father expressed relief that she would not be subjected to further horrors by Hamas. However, it was later discovered that Emily was alive.