An Irish father has broken down in tears as he described his relief that his eight-year-old daughter had been murdered by Hamas gunmen, rather than being taken hostage.
Thomas Hand said "death was a blessing" after learning that Emily had been killed when militants stormed their kibbutz near Gaza early on Saturday.
The devastated father, who is originally from Dublin, but moved to Israel around 30 years ago, told of how he believed the alternative outcome of his daughter being captured and taken hostage was "worse than death".
In a heartbreaking interview with CNN, Mr Hand told of the moment he learned his daughter's body had been found.
""They said, 'We found Emily. She's dead,' and I just went 'Yes!" I went 'yes', and I smiled, because that is the best news of the possibilities that I knew," he said.
"She was either dead, or in Gaza.
"And if you know anything about what they do to people in Gaza, that is worse than death."
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"They'd have no food. They'd have no water. 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."
Mr Hand first moved to Be’eri in the 1990s as a volunteer before deciding to stay in the community full-time.
Following the death of his wife from cancer a few years ago, he has lived alone with their daughter Emily.
The attack at the Be'eri Kibbutz happened early on Saturday morning with the gunmen going from door-to-door executing residents.
Amidst the gunfire, Mr Hand was unable to reach his daughter, who had been at a friend's house for a sleepover.
He told of how Emily did not often stay at her friend's house, "but unfortunately that night, that particular night - Friday night - she went to sleep at her friend's house".
Recalling how he had no way of reaching his daughter during Hamas' raid, he said: “I had to think of Emily".
"She already lost her mother, I couldn’t risk her losing her father too," he said.
Authorities say more than 100 bodies have been recovered from the kibbutz, but many more residents are still missing.
Mr Hand was later rescued and taken to a hotel by the Dead Sea, where he waited for news on his daughter for two agonising days.
“Emily’s friends know that she’s not here with me," he said.
"So they ask me what happened to her … they look up at me and I say I don’t know yet.
"But then they see their parents hugging me, crying … kids are not stupid, even at that age, so just by seeing that I’m sure they realise.”
He described his daughter, who was the tallest in her class, as a talented dancer and singer.
“If I had known … I could have maybe ran, got her, got her friend, got the mother, brought them back to my place,” he said.
“But by the time I realised what was happening, it was already too late.”
