Alongside her friends and father, former hostage Noa Argamani, whose partner Avinatan Or is still held captive by Hamas in Gaza, celebrated her return from captivity at an event called "Dance with Noa."
"I waited 246 days for this moment," Noa said, referencing the number of days she spent in captivity before her rescue. "It’s not ideal to have this party right now with the war in the background, with our soldiers on the battlefield, and with 109 hostages still in Gaza, including my partner, whom I miss terribly. But despite all that, I’m happy to celebrate life with all of you."
"Every day, we need to cherish every moment we have here," she added, as her friends cheered, "We waited so long, we love you, Noa, you’re amazing!" She was dressed in a yellow swimsuit, a color associated with the campaign to bring the hostages home.
Noa Argamani celebrates release from Hamas captivity
Her father, Yaakov, also spoke at the party: "We waited 246 days for Noa. I say 'we' because the whole family was waiting, and sadly, Liora waited the most. But she did see her and felt her, and God granted our wish. I have to be honest, I didn’t really know Noa until October 7, the day of her abduction. It’s thanks to you, her wonderful friends, that I really got to know her."
Noa recently returned from a trip to Japan, where she met with senior diplomats from Israel and G7 countries, sharing her harrowing experiences in captivity. "Every night, I would fall asleep thinking—this might be the last night of my life," Argamani recounted. She described the horrific conditions she endured, her abduction on October 7, the bombings in Gaza, and the daring rescue mission. "I lost a lot of weight. We drank less than half a liter of water per day, and there were days we weren’t allowed to drink at all," she told reporters in Tokyo. She also revealed that she was only permitted to shower twice a month.
Despite the hardships, and even though she was moved between numerous locations, including tunnels, Argamani found ways to cope: "I practiced mindfulness, remembering happier moments, like diving—things I loved doing before. It really helped me escape mentally." However, she admitted, "But it’s really hard to keep that up all the time. There are nights and days when you constantly hear the bombings and think it’s going to be your last day."
Argamani emphasized the urgent need to free the remaining hostages, including her partner Avinatan Or. "Avinatan, my boyfriend, is still there, and we need to bring them back before it’s too late. We don’t want to lose any more people than we already have," she said. She also sent a message to her partner: "I just want to tell him to stay safe. I’m waiting for him at home and doing everything I can to bring him back to his family—and to me."