A day after her partner Avinatan Or was freed from Hamas captivity, Noa Argamani, who was also kidnapped to Gaza and later rescued in a daring commando operation, posted a deeply emotional message on Instagram on Tuesday, sharing new photos of their first moments together—two years after being violently separated on October 7.
“Two years. Two years have passed since I last saw the love of my life, Avinatan,” she wrote. “Two years since terrorists kidnapped us, put me on a motorcycle, and tore us apart before the eyes of the world. From that moment, our journeys began separately.”
“I was held with children, women and elderly people, while Avinatan was alone the entire time,” Argamani continued. “I was mostly kept inside homes, while he was held only in tunnels. Hamas released videos and proof of life of me, while there was no information about Avinatan. I spent 246 days in captivity, while he spent 738. I came back in a rescue operation—and he returned in a deal. But against all odds, we both made it home and were reunited!”
Argamani described the overwhelming emotions of their reunion. “I can’t put into words the range of emotions I felt seeing him again after so long. Each of us faced death countless times, and yet after two years apart, we are finally taking our first step together in Israel. We can finally begin our rehabilitation together. It’s still a long road ahead, we haven’t truly processed what we went through in these past two years, but we won.”
“We won our personal war,” she added, “and the war of the entire world that fought alongside us to reach this moment. Now it’s time to start our shared journey. I want to say a huge thank you first to the soldiers and security forces who have been fighting and risking their lives for us every day. Thank you to our families, friends and everyone who raised their voices for us when we couldn’t speak. To all of Israel and the world who embraced us, to the incredible people who supported us through the darkest times and never lost hope. To the U.S. administration, which opened doors for me and was always there to listen.
“In particular, I want to thank President Trump, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who stood by us to bring Avinatan and all the hostages home, helping us overcome the darkness. We will never forget the fallen and the murdered. We will not stop fighting until every single one of the deceased is brought home for a proper burial in Israel. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This could never have happened without you. We are back ❤️.”
Avinatan's first meeting with his parents and with partner Noa Argamani
(Video: IDF)
Or, 32, was kidnapped from the Nova music festival along with his partner, who was rescued in Operation Arnon on June 8, 2024. The footage of Argamani being forcibly separated from him as they were taken into Gaza became one of the symbols of the cruelty of the October 7 massacre. The first sign of life from Or surfaced in March.
A friend of Or told Ynet that “he was held for most of his captivity in central camps under extremely harsh conditions. He was systematically starved and severely abused. According to an initial medical report, he lost between 30% and 40% of his body weight.” The friend added, “He was released yesterday, thin and very weak, but surrounded by his family’s embrace. He will undergo a long rehabilitation process after being completely isolated. For two full years, he never met other hostages and knew little about what was happening in Israel.”