Noa Argamani, the rescued hostage, told her loved ones that "we should celebrate every moment" during a "Return to Life" celebration on Sunday. The 26-year-old, who was rescued in a dramatic mission, spoke emotionally about the importance of "appreciating every day".
She was seen dancing on friends' shoulders with her father, Yaakov, after both endured immense suffering. Noa was abducted on October 7 from the Nova music festival while on a motorbike, with her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, forced to watch. He has not been heard from since. She was rescued in June, allowing her to say a final farewell to her mother, Liora, 61, before her death from brain cancer.
Celebrating Life After Months in Captivity
She has become a passionate advocate for the remaining hostages and spoke at the G7 meeting in Tokyo this week. In her address, she revealed her fear that each night in Hamas captivity could be her last.
"It's a miracle that I'm here," she said. "Avinatan, my boyfriend, is still there, and we need to bring them back before it's going to be too late," she told the delegation.
On Sunday, Noa questioned whether it was appropriate to celebrate while more than a hundred hostages remain in the hands of the terror group in Gaza.
"246 days I've waited for this moment," she said.
"It's not ideal to have this party while there's still a war going on, with our soldiers still on the battlefield, and 109 hostages still in Gaza, including my partner who we miss dearly."
A large banner featuring Avinatan Or's photo and the message "We will dance again" was displayed on the dancefloor.
"We must appreciate every day of this life, and we should celebrate every moment we are here. We need to celebrate all the time," she told the crowd.
Said Final Goodbye to Mother
Her mother, Liora, died from brain cancer a month ago. However, she had the opportunity to be with her daughter before her death, thanks to the dramatic rescue of four hostages by the elite forces of Yamam.
One of the commandos said that her first question after the rescue was whether her mother was still alive. "I told her yes," he said.
"She looked right and left at us and asked again if we were sure. We told her yes, 'that's why we came, to bring you back to your mother.'"
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the parents of Hero Arnon Zmora, who died while rescuing others, advised Noa to "live each day as if it were her last."
Meanwhile, Israeli media reports that a Hamas delegation has arrived in Cairo to discuss the latest hostage-ceasefire proposal with Egyptian officials. Egypt, the United States, and Qatar have been acting as mediators in the ongoing negotiations to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.
