An Israeli hostage has spoken out publicly about the ordeal she faced under Hamas captivity for the first time since her rescue from Gaza. In a video message played at a protest in Tel Aviv, Noa Argamani revealed on Saturday that her biggest concern during captivity was for her parents.
Argamani is one of four hostages rescued by the Israeli military in a special operation in Gaza this month. She was abducted alongside her partner Or during the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 and faced eight months in captivity before being rescued. In the video message, she called for the return of the remaining 120 captives, who include her partner Avinatan Or.
“My biggest worry in captivity was for my parents”Noa Argamani speaks for the first time after 246 days as a hostage in Gaza:
“I want to remind everyone that there are still 120 hostages in captivity. Among them is Avinatan Or, my partner, from whom I was separated at the… pic.twitter.com/zP7pz6CK9P
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) June 29, 2024
“Although I’m home now, we can’t forget about the hostages who are still in Hamas captivity, and we must do everything possible to bring them back home,” Argamani was quoted as saying by CNN in the two-minute clip. “As an only child to my parents – and a daughter to a mother with a terminal illness – my biggest worry in captivity was for my parents.”
After the October 7 attack, widely circulated footage captured her abduction, with Argamani lifted onto a motorcycle while Or was apprehended, hands bound. The Israeli military’s operation to free them and three others—Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv—resulted in over 200 casualties, according to Gaza authorities.
Watch: Moment Israeli Special Forces Rescue Hostage Noa Argamani During Gaza Raid
A Hamas official informed CNN that uncertainty remains about the fate of the remaining hostages. “I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that there are still 120 hostages in Hamas captivity. Among them is Avinatan Or, my partner, from whom I was separated at the moment of abduction,” Argamani said in the video message.
Israel launched the war after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, in which militants stormed into southern Israel, killed some 1,200 people and abducted about 250. Since then, Israeli ground offensives and bombardments have killed more than 37,700 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. International criticism is growing over the nearly nine-month Israel-Hamas war as Palestinians face severe crisis. The top United Nations court has concluded there is a “plausible risk of genocide” in Gaza — a charge Israel strongly denies.
(With agency input)
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