Noa Argamani, who emerged as the tragic face of Hamas' vicious terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, was given an emotional hug by her father after being saved on Saturday by Israeli forces in Gaza. Argamani was rescued along with three other hostages by the IDF on Saturday from Gaza.
Israeli citizen Argamani, who was born in China, was caught on camera on October 7 crying out in despair as Hamas terrorists kidnaped and took her to Gaza during their heinous attack on the Jewish state. In a video posted on social media, Argamani, 26, hugged and kissed her father, Yakov, after spending a torturous eight months in captivity.
Emotional Moment after Being Freed
The two were also filmed smiling and sharing a pair of Coca-Cola in a hospital room at the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv. "I am so happy to be here. Thank you for everything, thank you for this moment," Argamani said on the phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, according to video.
"I am very moved," she said in another phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "I haven't heard Hebrew for so long," according to footage of the conversation.
Israeli forces rescued Argamani, along with three other hostages taken from the Nova music festival, during a "complex mission" that targeted two Hamas-controlled buildings in Nuseirat, central Gaza, according to a military spokesman.
Argamani made headlines as her kidnapping video featured in global media after the terrorists' cowardly October 7 attack on southern Israel, became a tragic symbol of the horrors Israelis endured during the violent rampage that killed 1,200 people and led to the kidnapping of another 250.
Reunited With Her Family
She is expected to reunite soon with her mother, Liora, who is fighting stage four brain cancer and publicly expressed her desire to see her daughter again. In December, Liora Argamani pleaded with President Joe Biden to rescue her daughter so she could see her one last time.
"I am terminally ill with stage 4 brain cancer," she wrote him in a letter. "All that's running through my mind before I part ways with my family forever is the chance to hug my daughter, my only child, one last time."
The other hostages rescued along with Argamani are Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
The hostages were rescued during a "complex" operation at two locations in Nuseirat, central Gaza, the IDF said on Saturday.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the hostages are in good medical condition.
These are the first hostages to be rescued since two others were freed during a raid in February. Israel said that 130 hostages remain in Gaza, though a large number may have died due to the harsh conditions of their captivity.
Footage of Argamani being dragged into Gaza by Hamas terrorists was widely circulated after their October 7 attack in the country.
More recently, Argamani had appeared in propaganda videos broadcast by the group.
The Saturday raid is the largest single recovery of hostages captured by Hamas, bringing the total number of those rescued to seven.
She was kidnapped along with her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, from the Supernova festival on the morning of October 7. Her boyfriend is still believed to be in captivity.
