'We still have hostages clinging to their lives': Noa Argamani recalls anniversary of release
"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.
FORMER HOSTAGE Noa Argamani attends an emergency conference on the medical condition of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, in 2024.(photo credit: FLASH90)ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFUpdated:
"Since I got my freedom back, a year has passed, but it feels like nothing has changed," former hostage Noa Argamani said in a Sunday post on X/Twitter, marking the anniversary of her rescue from the Gaza Strip.
"We’re still at war. We still have hostages clinging on to their lives, each day, each minute, a living hell," she continued. "Hostages who are starving, held in unbearable conditions, without even water."
Argamani was rescued in Nuseirat on June 8, 2024, alongside three other hostages: Almog Meir (21), Andrey Kozlov (27), and Shlomi Ziv (40).
Noa Argamani attends the TIME100 gala, celebrating the magazine’s annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, in New York City, US, April 24, 2025 (credit: Kylie Cooper/Reuters)
The 'true soul' of Israel
Argamani then described her time recovering in the hospital after her rescue, stating that she saw the "true soul" of her country. She noted 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," referring to the IDF soldier who gave his life in the operation that freed the four hostages.
She also recalled how the country mourned alongside her when her mother, Liora Argamani, passed away from cancer. After Argamani's kidnapping, Liora advocated for the safe return of her daughter and the other hostages while suffering from her condition. Noa was rescued before her mother succumbed to her disease.
"I learned I have to be strong. Not only for myself, but for others," she wrote. "For those who lost someone dear. For the families of the hostages. For the hostages themselves."
She then mentioned that she has spent more days apart from her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, who is still in captivity, than days they were together. Israel received a sign of life from Or in mid-March.
In April, Time Magazine listed Argamani in their annual list of the 100 most influential people of the year.
There are still 55 hostages held in the Gaza Strip as of Monday morning.
