Israeli father reunites with 9-year-old daughter after she is released by Hamas

(CNN) – Nearly two months have passed since Hamas gunmen executed more than 1,400 Israeli men, women and children and kidnapped hundreds more.

Earlier this month, a father and Hamas attack survivor experienced a range of emotions after he thought his daughter was dead but learned that she may be alive as a hostage.

Thomas Hand was finally reunited with his 9-year-old daughter Emily over the weekend as Hamas released more hostages.

The anguish Hand felt at the belief he had lost his daughter left him trembling for weeks,

The journey of death and hope of resurrection is impossible to imagine, Hand said.

“On the day It was Russian roulette. Whether you made it or not.,” he said.

On Oct. 7, Hamas fighters stormed the kibbutz Be’eri, killing roughly 130 people and ravaging the community of 1,100 residents.

That morning, Emily was sleeping at a friend’s house. Hand could not reach her as Hamas fighters took over the kibbutz.

A dad and Hamas attack survivor learns his child thought to be dead may be alive. (SOURCE: CNN)

Days after the attack, the Irish-born father spoke with CNN about the moment he was told his daughter had been killed.

“They just said, ‘We found Emily and she’s dead’ and I went, ‘Yes.’ I went, ‘Yes’ and smiled because that was the best news of the possibilities that I knew. She’d be in a dark room filled with Christ knows how many people and terrified every minute, hour, day, and possible years to come. So death was a blessing, an absolute blessing.”

Hand said leaders of the Be’eri kibbutz community told him Emily’s body was seen in the aftermath.

However, almost a month after the massacre, Hand was given news that made him collapse. He said the Israeli army told him it was highly probable Emily was alive and a Hamas hostage.

Hand said he was told Emily’s body was not with the remains of victims and no blood was found inside the home where she had slept before the kidnapping.

Hand also said cell phones belonging to the family Emily was staying with have been tracked inside Gaza.

After learning she was still alive, Hand said he became extremely worried about Emily and the conditions she was being held in.

“She’s more than likely in a tunnel somewhere under Gaza. Your imagination is, it’s horrible. And it’s her birthday. On the 17th of this month, she’ll be nine,” he said. “She won’t know what day it is ... she won’t know it’s her birthday. There’d be no birthday cake, no party, no friends. She’d just be petrified in the tunnel under Gaza, that’s her birthday.”

Hand said he felt hope as well as despair at what his daughter may have been enduring.

After almost two weeks of waiting, Hamas finally released Emily Saturday night along with 12 other hostages.

“I was like, ‘Oh, don’t believe it,’” Hand said. “And all of a sudden ... the door opened up and she just ran. It was beautiful, ... just like I imagined it, you know, running together. I squeezed, I probably squeezed too hard.”

Hand said he took a good look at his daughter and noticed that she seemed to have lost weight during the ordeal and appeared paler than before.

He also said she only would talk in a whisper when talking to him, and she believed he had also been kidnapped.

“She thought I was in captivity,” he said. “They thought they’d kidnap me, and she didn’t know what the hell happened apart from that morning. So she’s presumed everyone’s kidnapped or killed or slaughtered ... She had no idea.”