Noa Argamani, who was held captive by Hamas for 245 days before being rescued by the Israel Defense Forces in June, delivered an emotional address last Thursday at the Nova Music Festival exhibition in Miami.
Speaking candidly about her months in captivity and the anguish of separation from her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, who remains a hostage in Gaza, Argamani called for urgent action to bring all of the hostages home.
“I know that Avinatan is still there, and my heart breaks to think that he will continue to be there until the second stage of this deal,” she said. “This is why it is absolutely critical that we put an end to this horrible tragedy and bring all the hostages home.”
Argamani’s story and image became known around the world after she was taken from the Nova music festival in southern Israel, along with her boyfriend, in an abduction that was caught on video. She became the face of those abducted by Hamas militants once a 10-second clip of her being transported against her will by motorcycle went viral.
“Until Avinatan returns, my heart is in captivity,” she added. “There are still 98 hostages just like him, 98 families in this endless nightmare.”
