Emily Demari Reacts to Killing of Hamas Commander Who Held Her Hostage

Emily Demari responded on Tuesday to the killing of Adham Ibrahim Shaaban Nesman, the head of operations for Hamas's Gaza City Brigade, who according to the IDF and Shin Bet was involved in holding her and other hostages captive. Demari shared the announcement of Nesman's death and revealed that during her captivity she knew him by the nickname "Sheikh Ibrahim." She recounted overhearing him speaking on the phone with former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior officials. Demari described Nesman as one of the most serious and interesting figures they encountered during captivity, noting that many militants aspired to reach his level within Hamas.

In her statement, Demari referred to the recent killings of Nesman, Sinwar, and other Hamas leaders, saying, "Now they are not talking about us on the phone together; they are burning together in the fires of hell." She concluded with the words, "May his name be erased forever, the people of Israel live."

A joint statement from the IDF and Shin Bet confirmed that Nesman was killed in an airstrike over the weekend in the Gaza City area. Nesman had served as the commander of the Nukhba Battalion and led the October 7 attack into Israeli territory on behalf of the Gaza City Brigade. Israeli security officials stated that throughout the conflict, Nesman was involved in holding hostages including Rumi Gonen, Emily Demari, Ziv and Gali Berman, Eitan Mor, Matan Angrist, and Omri Miron.

Nesman held several key roles within Hamas, including intelligence officer for the Gaza City Brigade and commander of the Shati Battalion. He was responsible for planning and executing terror attacks against Israeli forces and civilians. Recently, he focused on training Gaza City Brigade militants and advancing the production and distribution of weapons to the brigade's battalions, violating ceasefire agreements as part of Hamas's efforts to rebuild its military capabilities.