Noa Argamani publicly stated the full story of her time in Hamas captivity for the first time on Thursday in Miami at a Nova Music Festival Exhibition event.
The 27-year-old woman was captured by Hamas terrorists at the Supernova music festival on October 7 alongside her partner Avinatan Or. She was rescued from captivity by the IDF in Operation Arnon on June 8, 2024, after 245 days in captivity alongside Almog Meir Jan (21), Andrey Kozlov (27), and Shlomi Ziv (40).
At a Nova Music Festival Exhibition event in South Florida, Argamani told attendees about her entire time in captivity. N12 reported it was the first time she had publicly stated her entire story.
"A little over a year ago, no one knew my name," Argamani stated. "I was just a software engineering student. I loved traveling the world, celebrating life, and going to parties — and then I was kidnapped from a party."
New footage just released of the abduction of Noa Argamani She is being held on a motorcycle between two civilian dressed GazansThey are surrounded by a dozen men (Hamas and civilians)You can hear her crying pic.twitter.com/t0cx88afo8
— Hamas Atrocities (@HamasAtrocities) April 12, 2024
Noa's story
"At 6:30 a.m., when the rockets began, we thought it was just another routine round from Gaza," the rescued hostage told the crowd. "I got into our car, but the terrorists started shooting at us no matter which way we turned. Suddenly, our car got stuck. We jumped out, ran into the forest under rocket fire, and hid for hours until a group of terrorists found us."
N12 reported that during her remarks, Argamani played videos of her kidnapping, which was one of the first videos released by Hamas on October 7.
"One of the terrorists grabbed me, and I begged him, 'Please don’t kill us.' They threw me onto a motorcycle and separated me from Avinatan," Argamani said while pointing at the video.
That was the last time she saw her partner, who remains in captivity. He is not on the list of 33 hostages that Hamas will release in the first phase of the deal, but is believed to still be alive.
Argamani said that while she was with Hila Rotem and Emily Hand, she found some way to be strong for all three of them. She told audiences that she acted like a pseudo-big sister figure for the two children for the first 50 days of her captivity.
"At first, I was held with two young girls, Hila Rotem and Emily Hand," Argamani said. "I had to be brave, not just for myself but for the girls."
Rotem, 13, and Hand, 9, were released in the first hostage deal on November 26 during a truce between Israel and Hamas. Argamani was not on the list for release in that deal and remained in captivity until her rescue.
"Hila and Emily were released after 50 days, but I wasn’t part of any category for release. Watching others go home to their families while I stayed behind was an indescribable feeling."
After the two girls were released, Argamani was put with Yossi Sharrabi and Itay Svirsky. The three were in a building that was hit in an IDF airstrike in Gaza, which left Argamani with a serious head wound. Doctors who later saw to her wounds when she returned to Israel said it “was a medical miracle" that she made it out alive.
In a December event at President Isaac Herzog's house, she noted that she was left “bleeding, with my entire head open, and no one came to help me. Not the Red Cross, not doctors, no one.”
Argamani told the crowd that she thought she was going to die buried under the rubble.
"We were held together in a house that was bombed and collapsed on us," she said. "I thought I was taking my last breaths. I screamed for help and heard Yossi screaming, too. But then his screams stopped."
Argamani told the audience that she tried to help Sharrabi out from under the rubble, but he was already gone.
"Yossi was a dear friend, a pure soul, and he will remain in my heart forever," she said.
Svirsky was murdered by Hamas terrorists two days later. His body was returned to Israel on December 4, 2024.
"Itay was my soulmate in captivity. He kept me going, and I couldn’t imagine surviving without him," Argamani said.
Rescue from captivity
"Returning home was a miracle," she remarked. Argamani told the audience that when she was rescued in June, one of the first things she asked was if her mother, Liora, who was dying from terminal brain cancer, was alive.
"My return to Israel was the happiest day of my life," she said. "I am not a hero; I am a victim of October 7. The real heroes are the soldiers who risked everything to rescue me."
Argamani said that while she was being taken hostage, she only thought about her mother.
"All I could think about was that I had to see her again," Argamani said.
Liora issued multiple public pleas to be reunited with her daughter before it was too late.
Argamani was reunited with her dying mother for three weeks before her passing on July 2, 2024.
"My mother’s last wish was to see me again, and against all odds, that wish came true," Argamani said. "Her loss is unbearably painful, but at least I got to be with her one last time."
Argamani ended her remarks with a plea to bring all of the hostages, including her boyfriend, home.
"There are still 98 hostages, 98 families living this endless nightmare," she said. "Until Avinatan returns, my heart remains in captivity."
The Nova Music Festival Exhibition is a museum exhibit that honors the memories of the victims of the Supernova music festival massacre. It donates all of its earnings to the Nova Healing Journey, an initiative that supports mental health treatment for victims and families of the October 7 massacre.