After being kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2022, 26-year-old Israeli citizen Noa Argamani has been freed and reunited with her family by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Before being freed on Saturday, Ms. Argamani, who was abducted from the Nova music festival, had to face an incredibly difficult eight months in captivity.
A massive crowd of young revellers attended the Nova music festival, which rapidly descended into chaos and terror following Hamas’s spectacular land-sea-air attack on Israel. Argamani and her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, were kidnapped amid the mayhem. Insane footage from the incident went viral, showing the 26-year-old Israeli citizen, in a state of desperation, being forced into Gaza on the back of a motorcycle.
Argamani was detained captive in Gaza for 245 days. Her mother Liora, who has terminal brain cancer, deteriorated while she was being held captive.
The daring rescue operation in central Gaza’s Nuseirat was executed by the IDF on Saturday. Along with freeing Ms. Argamani, this operation also rescued Andrey Kozlov, Almog Meir Jan, and Shlomi Ziv, the other three hostages.
After being saved, Argamani was sent to a hospital in Tel Aviv, where she met her mother again. At the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre, where Liora has been receiving treatment, there was an emotional reunion.
After his daughter was transported back to Israel by military helicopter, Argamani’s father, Yaakov, saw her for the first time and called the reunion the best birthday present he had ever received.
Thousands of Israelis celebrated the rescue and demanded the release of the remaining captives at what has come to be known as “Hostage Square” in the heart of Tel Aviv. Since the assaults on October 7, the square has served as a focal point for protests and acts of solidarity.
Seven of the 251 individuals whom Hamas had taken prisoner had been set free alive by Israeli forces. There are currently 116 hostages in Gaza, 41 of whom the military considers to be dead.
Argamani was personally congratulated on her safe return by President Isaac Herzog and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a tearful phone call. She was reassured by Prime Minister Netanyahu, who said, “We never gave up on you for a second. I’m not sure if you shared our belief, but we did, and I’m happy that it came to pass.”
On October 7, Hamas launched a catastrophic onslaught on southern Israel that resulted in 1,189 Israeli deaths and the kidnapping of 252 captives, sparking the worst conflict in Gaza’s history. Israel’s reaction has been unrelenting; according to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 36,801 people have died—the majority of them civilians.
