Israeli hostage Noa Argamani revealed she had not seen daylight for 245 days before being rescued in a daring special forces raid deep in Gaza.
The 26-year-old, who was reunited with her elated family on Saturday, had become the face of the Oct. 7 massacre after a video emerged in which she screamed “Don’t kill me” as Hamas terrorists attacked her. kidnapped at a music festival. on motorcycles.
But serious questions have been raised about the human cost of the rescue mission, which also freed three other captives, with the Hamas-run Health Ministry saying it left 274 dead and 698 injured.
While it is unclear how many of them were civilians, horrifying images taken after a shootout during the attack in the Nuseirat area show dozens of dead and injured women and children in the streets.
The terrorist group claims the fatalities include three other hostages, one of whom has American citizenship, which an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman dismissed as a “blatant lie.” The attack on Nuseirat was the largest hostage rescue mission since the war began, and news of its success sparked wild celebrations throughout Israel.
Israeli hostage Noa Argamani hugged by her father after being rescued by an Israeli special operation
Mrs Argamani meets with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu. The 26-year-old, who was reunited with her elated family on Saturday.
The terrified hostage became the face of the Oct. 7 massacre after video emerged of her screaming “Don’t kill me” as she was kidnapped at a music festival by Hamas terrorists on motorcycles.
When a picture was released of the squalid room where Noa was found, she revealed that she was being held by a “well-to-do” family but was kept under armed guard, was rarely allowed to wash, and never saw the light of day when she was found. they moved. He goes house to house at night, dressed as an Arab, in an attempt to evade detection.
Noa was saved along with Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, who were also at the Nova Festival when Hamas militants attacked in October. They are all said to be in “good medical condition”, but as a precautionary measure they are at the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv for monitoring.
Noa’s friend Amir Moadi, 29, said: “She is good, mentally good, and healthy.” But Noa lost many friends on October 7. I think it will take time to understand everything. She feels like she is in shock.
‘Thanks to all the people around her now, she is smiling and very happy. She told us on the phone before we saw her: ‘I’m coming home.’ When you heard it from her, all our hearts melted.’
Moadi hopes to be discharged in the coming days. He said: ‘I told him no matter when, what, where, we will be with you. “We are not going to leave her, she will be with us at all times.”
Noa’s mother Liora, who is terminally ill with stage four brain cancer, had previously said she feared she would never see her daughter again.
After meeting on Saturday, Professor Ronni Gamzu, director of Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital, where she is being treated, said he “believed Liora understood” that his daughter was safe, adding: “She just couldn’t express her feelings.” and say what he was really hoping to say to Noa.
Describing yesterday’s meeting, Noa’s father Yaakov said: ‘Unfortunately her mother is in a very difficult condition. “They met, but it was very difficult.”
Last night, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said reports “of another massacre of civilians are appalling”, adding: “The bloodbath must end.”
In response, Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner criticized Hamas for holding hostages in civilian areas and said the IDF had been forced to call in air support after its squad “came under attack from 360 degrees.”
Hamas has warned that conditions will worsen for the remaining captives. “The operation will pose great danger to the prisoners and will have a negative impact on their conditions,” spokesman Abu Obaida said.