On October 7th, during the Nova music festival in southern Israel, Hamas militants abducted Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or. The abduction was part of a larger terror attack that caused havoc in the country. Noa was taken to Gaza on a motorcycle, and a distressing video of her begging for help while being held by two men on top of the vehicle circulated worldwide.
Noa’s mother, Liora, who was suffering from advanced brain cancer, pleaded with Hamas to release her daughter as her dying wish was to see her again. Despite Liora’s pleas, Noa remained captive for eight months in Gaza.
During her captivity, Noa became the symbol of the October 7th terrorist attack. She faced numerous challenges and hardships as she tried to survive in Gaza. Noa had to dress like an Arab woman when she was moved between hiding places and believed she would be lynched at any moment. She also nearly perished when Israeli missiles struck the location where she was being held.
Throughout her ordeal, Noa found solace in mindfulness to help her cope with the difficult moments. She remained strong despite constant shelling from the Israeli Defense Forces and propaganda videos forced upon her by Hamas showing the bodies of other hostages.
In a daring military operation conducted by Israeli forces on Saturday, Noa was rescued from Gaza after eight months of captivity. The rescue operation caught Hamas off guard, leading to a deadly exchange of gunfire and bombings in Nuseirat refugee camp. Despite high casualties in Gaza, Noa and other hostages were safely evacuated by helicopter. The operation was shrouded in secrecy with Israeli soldiers disguised as Hamas fighters or civilians to carry out the mission.
Noa’s bravery in the face of adversity and eventual rescue serve as a testament to her strength and resilience in unimaginable circumstances.
The rescue operation conducted by Israeli forces caught Hamas off guard, leading to a deadly exchange of gunfire and bombings in Nuseirat refugee camp.
Despite high casualties in Gaza, Noa and other hostages were safely evacuated by helicopter.
The operation was shrouded in secrecy with Israeli soldiers disguised as Hamas fighters or civilians to carry out the mission.
Noa’s bravery in the face of adversity serves as a testament to her strength and resilience