The young Israeli couple who became the symbol of the horrifying Oct. 7 attacks had a touching reunion Monday — two years after they were torn apart at the Nova music festival.
Noa Argamani, 28, and Avinatan Or, 32, shared a tender embrace following his release from 738 days in Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip.
Or was one of the 20 living hostages freed as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, brokered by President Donald Trump, while Argamani was rescued by Israeli forces in June 2024 after spending 8 months in Hamas captivity.
Theirs was one of many emotional reunions to take place across Israel, Gaza and the West Bank after the final living hostages were released by Hamas, before Israel released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
The Israeli Defense Forces shared a picture of Argamani and Or’s reunion on social media. “Reunited at last,” the post was captioned.
“After two years of darkness, you’re finally back —back in Israel, back with Noa, back where love began,” the State of Israel also said on its official Instagram page, with the picture of the couple embracing juxtaposed with images of them being taken away by Hamas militants.
Harrowing footage showed Argamani being taken away on a motorcycle by terrorists from the festival site in southern Israel two years ago. “Don’t kill me,” Argamani was heard screaming as she reached out to her boyfriend, who could only look on helplessly while being marched away by Hamas militants.
Since Argamani’s release last year, she has campaigned for the return of Or and the other hostages.
“I miss Avinatan more with every passing day. I hold onto hope, every single day, that this nightmare will end soon, and we’ll finally get to live the life we’ve dreamed of,” Argamani said of her boyfriend on the Oct. 7 anniversary.
“I can’t describe the loneliness without you, you are my soulmate and nothing looks same when you are not around,” Argamani said in another recent social media post. “Your clothes in my closet are waiting for you to wear them, along with a long list of dreams that I’m waiting to complete with you.”
Or lost between 30 to 40 percent of his body weight while in captivity in the Gaza Strip, according to Israel’s Channel 12. The outlet reports that Or was kept in solitary captivity and did not meet any other hostages until his release.
After his release, Or reportedly asked to spend time alone with Argamani, where she told him about last year’s rescue operation when she was freed, and the pair shared their “first cigarette together after two years.”
Tragically, Argamani’s mother died one month after her daughter’s release following a brain tumor. By the time her daughter was released, Liora Argamani was barely able to look at her due to her illness, according to her husband.
Among the 20 hostages also released today was 24-year-old Evyatar David, who was seen digging his own grave in disturbing footage earlier this year.
The footage showed him looking skeletal as he marked his days in captivity on a piece of paper pinned to the walls of a tunnel.
David was pictured beaming today alongside with his parents Avishai and Galia David.
Ushering in what he called a “new beginning” for the Middle East today, Trump said he was moved by seeing the Israeli hostages being reunited with their families.
“The hostages are reuniting. I’m just watching it backstage… the level of love and sorrow – I’ve never seen anything like it,” the president said.
“It’s amazing when you see they haven’t seen their mother, their father, they haven’t seen them in such a long time.”
Meanwhile, Palestinians were warned by Israel not to celebrate the release of their relatives after ministers approved a final list of detainees freed as part of the ceasefire deal.
The list included 1,718 Palestinians detained since 7 October 2023 and 250 prisoners serving life sentences.
