IDF announces rescue of Noa Argamani from Gaza after 8 months of captivity

After eight months of captivity, on June 8, 2024, the IDF announced it rescued Hamas hostage Noa Argamani from central Gaza. She is reportedly in good condition, according to initial medical assessments. Below are the first reports of her capture from the Supernova music festival near Re’im:

Noa Argamani, 26, is seen in one of the first Hamas videos released during the massacre of hundreds of partygoers at the Supernova desert rave on October 7, seated on the back of a motorcycle behind her Hamas captor, screaming, “Don’t kill me!”

In the video, Argamani is stretching her arms out toward her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, who is still held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

The couple had gone to the outdoor music event on Friday night, but didn’t mention their destination to Argamani’s parents, said her father, Yaakov Argamani, in a video made by Bring Them Home Now, the organization handling press and media for the Israeli families.

“She hinted something at me, I get that now,” said Yaakov Argamani. “She said, ‘Abba, it’s okay if I go anywhere?'”

Early Saturday morning, after attending holiday services, Yaakov Argamani said he went to check on Noa and Avinatan and saw they weren’t in her bedroom.

He tried calling Noa, a second-year university student at Ben Gurion University but couldn’t reach her. About half an hour later, prior to his capture, Avinatan called and told the Argamanis what had happened at the desert rave attended by hundreds of young Israelis.

“I worked and fought hard to have a daughter,” said Argamani, weeping, seated next to his wife, Leora, who is battling cancer. “What’s happening with her, how is she coping, such uncertainty.”

Hamas footage that showed up later the same day showed Argamani being held in Gaza, sipping from a cup of water.

“It’s a world crime,” said Leora Argamani. “She’s 26, she loves parties and life, she didn’t do anything wrong. Help us.”