On anniversary of her dramatic rescue, former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani urges freedom for those remaining in Gaza

Former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani last week marked the anniversary of her rescue from captivity in Gaza. "I learned I have to be strong. Not only for myself, but for others. For those who lost someone dear. For the families of the hostages. For the hostages themselves," Argamani wrote in a post on the social media platform 𝕏.

While being grateful for her regained freedom, she stressed that Israel is still facing war and the ongoing challenge of securing the release of the remaining Israeli hostages. 

"We’re still at war. We still have hostages clinging on to their lives, each day, each minute, a living hell," Argamani continued. "Hostages who are starving, held in unbearable conditions, without even water," she added.

The terrorist militia Hamas is believed to still hold 55 hostages. Israeli officials have estimated that 20 of them are still alive. 

On June 8, 2024, Argamani and three other hostages Andrey Kozlov, Almog Meir and Shlomo Ziv were freed by Israeli special forces in a daring rescue operation in Neseirat, a Hamas hub in central Gaza. The operation was quickly dubbed “Operation Arnon,” in honor of Arnon Zamora, an IDF officer who lost his life in battle against the Hamas terrorists. 

Argamani, at the time,tysde6 praised the Israeli security forces for saving her life and the lives of three fellow hostages. 

“I want to thank the security forces and our army, the soldiers, reservists, special forces, and everyone who took part in the rescue operation and risked their lives so that I could return home,” Argamani said. She particularly hailed the late commando officer Zamora as “the hero of Israel,” stressing “because of him, we are here.”

On the anniversary of her dramatic rescue, Argamani said that she witnessed the “true soul” of Israel, appreciating the "pure joy of strangers at our rescue. Joy that existed even as an entire family’s world collapsed with the heartbreaking loss of their beloved hero Arnon Zamora.” 

Argamani succeeded in briefly reuniting with her terminally ill mother Liora in Israel. In July 2024, Liora passed away after a prolonged battle with brain cancer. 

In April, the prestigious Time Magazine included Argamani in its annual list of the 100 most influential people. 

Her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, is one of the 55 remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. 

Last August, Argamani shared her hostage testimony with the senior diplomats from the leading industrialized G7 countries. She urged the international community to do everything in its power to secure the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza. 

“Avinatan, my boyfriend, is still there, and we need to bring them back before it’s going to be too late,” she pleaded. 

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has been pushing hard for an agreement between Hamas and Israel that would secure the release of 10 living hostages in exchange for 60 days of ceasefire. 

However, both Hamas and Israel have denied reports that a hostage agreement has been reached. The main sticking point is that Hamas demands the full retreat of Israeli forces and a permanent end to the war that Hamas unleashed on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The Israeli government has signaled that it is willing to accept a temporary ceasefire to secure the release of hostages. However, Jerusalem has insisted that it will continue the military operations against Hamas until the Jihadist organization is dismantled as a military and political force in Gaza.