After 8 months in Hamas captivity, Noa Argamani reunited with her father Yaakov
(Video: from Channel 13)
After enduring eight grueling months in captivity in the Gaza Strip, 25-year-old Noa Argamani, whose abduction became a stark symbol of the October 7 massacre's brutality, was freed on Saturday along with other hostages as part of a daring rescue operation from the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.
Shortly after the announcement by Israeli security forces, poignant footage emerged online, capturing the moment Noa was reunited with her father Yaakov in an IDF helicopter.
Argamani, reported to be in good health, was transported alongside the other hostages to Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv. She is later set to be moved to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv where her mother Liora, who's battling cancer, is hospitalized.
The Israeli public greeted the news of the heroic rescue mission with elation. One widely shared clip on social media captures a lifeguard at a Herzliya beach in central Israel announcing the news to the cheers of beachgoers.
Lifeguard at a Herzliya beach in central Israel announces the news of the rescue mission to the cheers of beachgoers
(Video: Herzilya Municipality)
Last week, Hamas released a recording of Argamani in which she is heard reading a prescripted text criticizing the government for its inability to secure her and the other hostages' release.
Hamas propaganda clip featuring Noa Argamani's voice
Following the October 7 terrorist attack, Argamani became a symbol of Hamas' brutality after a video documenting her abduction from the Nova music festival site and her capture alongside her partner Avinatan Or went viral. The clip showed Argamani being forcibly taken on a motorcycle, weeping and screaming, while her partner was roughly handled by terrorists.
In December, NBC reported that an investigation, based on text messages, phone calls, satellite images and the sun's position at the time of her abduction, suggests uncertainty about the identity of her captors and that she might have been kidnapped by a Gazan mob that infiltrated Israel hours after the initial terrorist attack.
The abduction of Noa Argamani and her partner Avinatan Or
In January, the terrorist organization released another propaganda video of Argamani, which also featured Itay Svirsky, 38, and Yossi Sharabi, 53, who were both later confirmed deceased.
Noa's mother Liora is battling brain cancer and her condition has deteriorated in recent months. Last November, she made a video plea to U.S. President Joe Biden and the Red Cross, asking them to bring her daughter home.
Noa's mother Liora in plea to Biden to secure her daughter's release
(Photo: @saraigivaty, @kozlovakeren)
"I am Liora Argamani. Noa Argamani's mother, the beautiful girl kidnapped on October 7 by Hamas to Gaza,” she says in the video.
“I have cancer. Brain cancer. I don't know how long I have left. I wish for the chance to see my Noa, at home. I call upon President Biden and the Red Cross to bring back my Noa as soon as possible so that I get the chance to see her.”