Latest news with #AvinatanOr
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
October 7 hostage Noa Argamani blasts North American 'terror sympathizers' after they trap her in theatre chanting 'Hamas is coming'
Freed Hamas hostage Noa Argamani has hit back at disgraceful 'terror sympathizers' who crashed a Jewish fundraising event and trapped her inside to intimidate her. The 27-year-old, who survived more than nine months in Hamas captivity after she was taken hostage during the October 7 atrocity, was invited to speak at the June 26 event in Ontario, Canada. About a dozen members of the University of Windsor's Palestinian Solidarity Group (PSG) surrounded the sole entrance and exit point at the venue, shouting 'Hamas is coming' as they intimidated attendees. 'I refuse to let terror sympathizers control the narrative,' Argamani said in a statement to X after the ordeal. 'Hamas came. Hamas kidnapped me. Hamas murdered my friends. But I won; I survived. Now, I speak for those who can't. 'I'll keep exposing Hamas' crimes and fighting for the hostages' release—including my partner, Avinatan.' Argamani's boyfriend, Avinatan Or, remains in Hamas captivity, along with 49 other hostages. Organizers have decried the group's actions, insisting they were 'harassing' Argamani in an effort to silence her and pressure her to stop speaking out about the horrors she endured. Noa became the face of the attack on October 7 after she was pictured being kidnapped by Hamas on the back of a motorbike Miriam Kaplan, who chaired the event, described the incident as 'a disgraceful attempt to intimidate a survivor.' She has called on the university to condemn the protest, maintaining: 'These students crossed the line from free speech into aggression.' No arrests were made, but Windsor Police said officers 'monitored the situation and ensured public safety' after receiving calls about a disturbance. The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said: 'Blocking a hostage survivor is unconscionable. This is not a protest but intimidation of a vulnerable witness to terror.' Argamani's presence at the event had been heavily promoted ahead of the incident. has contacted the school and PSG for comment. Argamani was rescued in a daring helicopter mission in June 2024 and has since gone on to become an outspoken survivor and critic of Hamas. She made it home just in time to say goodbye to her mom, who was dying of brain cancer. The brave survivor revealed she was held by a 'well-to-do' family but kept under armed guard, was rarely allowed to wash and never saw daylight as she was moved from house to house at night while dressed as an Arab in a bid to evade detection. Argamani was saved along with 21-year-old Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40, who were also at the Nova Festival when Hamas militants struck. She became one of the faces of the October 7 tragedy after horrifying footage went viral of her being kidnapped and taken from the Nova music festival on a motorbike. In a heartbreaking love letter to her captive love Avinatan, 30, who she met at Ben-Gurion University four years ago, Noa wrote of the October 7 horror, describing it as: 'That moment which the whole world witnessed – the moment when my heart was torn apart and has never recovered since. 'I always promised you that we would conquer the world together, that we would grow old together, that I would be by your side through thick and thin. 'At that moment on October 7, I fought until the last minute so that we could go through everything together, side by side. Unfortunately, those were the last moments I saw you. 'Unlike the thousands of people who were murdered since October 7, you can still be saved.' Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the hostage situation in Gaza earlier this week, vowing to refocus on bringing them home after a successful mission wiping out Iran's nuclear capacity. 'As you probably know, many opportunities have opened up now following this victory,' he said. 'Firstly, to rescue the hostages. Of course, we will also need to solve the Gaza issue, defeat Hamas, but I believe we will accomplish both missions.'
Time Magazine
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Israeli Hostage Advocate Noa Argamani on Not Looking Away
Noa Argamani opened up about what it was like to be held hostage by Hamas for 245 days when she walked the red carpet at the gala celebrating TIME's 2025 list of the world's most influential people on April 24 in New York City. Argamani attended the Nova Music Festival where Hamas launched the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that led to the Israel-Hamas war. She recently found it hard to attend the Nova Exhibition, a traveling exhibit on the festival and the conflict. As she put it, 'It was too much to handle. Too much to carry.' But it was a must-see, she said. Argamani was separated from her partner Avinatan Or and said that while in captivity, she was constantly trying to find out where he was. At a certain point, she was afraid to know the answer. 'I never saw him in captivity. I asked about him everywhere I went, but they didn't tell me nothing. I didn't know if he's alive … I didn't want to know the answer because it was too much for me,' she said. 'But until my partner, Avinatan Or, will come back, and all those 59 hostages will come back, I will not heal. I will push forward, and I will fight as much as I can so that everybody will come back home.' Later at the gala afterparty, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, described Argamani as 'one of the most inspiring people I've ever met,' citing 'her extraordinary strength and her amazing resolve, not just despite what she's been through but what she's still going through.' In a tribute to Argamani for the 2025 TIME100, Doug Emhoff, former Second Gentleman of the United States, wrote, 'her bravery has embodied Jewish resilience and strength even in the worst moments.' Argamani was among a select group of honorees to make a short speech during the gala. She urged the star-studded attendees to use their voices and influence to keep attention on those who remain in captivity: 'Help make sure that the world will not look away.' —Solcyré Burga contributed reporting. ——— The TIME100 Gala is TIME's annual celebration of the TIME100 list of the world's most influential people. The Gala brings together icons, leaders, change-makers, and celebrities from across industries and nations for one lively evening of meaningful dialogue and celebration. TIME is teaming up with ABC to bring viewers inside the exclusive TIME100 Gala with a special television event. TIME100: The World's Most Influential People, produced in partnership with P&G, airs Sunday, May 4 at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC, and the next day on Hulu, featuring host Snoop Dogg, a performance by Ed Sheeran, and appearances by Demi Moore, Serena Williams, and more.
Reuters
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
At UN, Israeli former hostage appeals for ceasefire deal to go on
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - An Israeli woman kidnapped by Hamas Palestinian militants recounted her ordeal at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, telling the 15-member body she did not think she would make it out alive, and pleading for a ceasefire to continue. Noa Argamani was rescued by Israeli forces in June last year, eight months after she and her partner were taken by Hamas from a music festival in southern Israel. Her partner, Avinatan Or, is still held hostage and due to be released during the second phase of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. The initial phase of the ceasefire deal, launched on January 19, is due to end on Saturday with dozens of hostages having been released in return for hundreds of Palestinian detainees and convicts held by Israel. Negotiators have not fully resolved the steps to follow in later phases. Hamas still holds dozens of hostages. "I need to make sure that the world knows that: the deal must go on in full ... completely, in all the stages," she told the Security Council before then describing how a house she was held hostage in was blown up, trapping her in the rubble. "I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe - I thought it's going to be the last seconds of my life," said Argamani, adding that she received no medical help from Hamas. "Being here with you today is a miracle." U.N. Middle East envoy Sigrid Kaag, who is also the senior U.N. humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, told the Security Council that a resumption of hostilities in the Palestinian enclave "must be avoided at all costs." "The trauma is undeniable on both sides," she said. "In my last visit to Gaza, soon after the ceasefire came into effect, I was once again moved by a sense of utter devastation ... and despair due to loss, trauma and a sense of abandonment." FUTURE OF GAZA Hamas-led fighters killed 1,200 people and captured more than 250 hostages in an attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, according to Israeli tallies. An Israeli retaliatory assault has since laid waste to most of Gaza and killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave's health officials. Israel has said its goals are to eliminate Hamas, bring home all the hostages and secure the safety and future of Israel. "Hamas must be eliminated," acting U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dorothy Shea told the council. "Any plan for reconstruction in Gaza must ensure Hamas is fully removed from power and held accountable for its Oct. 7 terrorist massacre." "We look forward to a plan from our Arab partners on the future of Gaza that reflects this vision," she said. Daniel Levy, president of the U.S./Middle East Project think tank, told the Security Council that ending Hamas governance in Gaza was achievable. But he said no party to a conflict would negotiate its own dissolution unless it were destroyed on the battlefield or the root causes of the conflict were addressed. "Hamas has not been defeated, and there will be resistance as long as there is the structural violence of occupation and apartheid, it is that simple," Levy said. Israel withdrew soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005. The territory has been ruled by Hamas since 2007 but is still considered to be under Israeli occupation by the United Nations. Israel and Egypt control access.
