Life Before Kidnapping: Noa Argamani's Travel Photos Before Her Hamas Abduction

The heartwarming story of Israeli couple Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or captured worldwide attention after they were forced to be separated by the Hamas rebels two years ago.

Now, the couple had their happy reunion when Or was released from captivity as part of the Israel-Hamas agreement.

The couple's reunion was captured in a video that quickly became viral.

But before their sweet reunion, find out how Argamani and Or got separated and how they found their way back to each other.

Noa Argamani's Kidnapping

The Israeli-Chinese woman, now aged 28, was one of the 44 people abducted by Hamas during the Re'im (Nova) Music Festival on 7 October 2023. She was with her boyfriend at that time, but they were separated by the rebels.

Her abduction was known worldwide after Hamas released a video showing her being taken away on a motorcycle, shouting 'Don't kill me!'

She was seen reaching out to her boyfriend, but Or cannot do anything about it since his hands were tied and he was being pushed by the remaining rebels on foot.

Argamani's kidnapping video became a symbol of the Hamas hostage crisis.

Rescuing Noa Argamani

Since her abduction, Argamani's family has never stopped pleading for her immediate release.

Her mother, Liora, a former Chinese citizen, appealed to the Chinese embassy to help in rescuing her daughter. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also pleaded to Chinese Ambassador Cai Run to ask China's President Xi Jinping to intervene for Argamani's safe release.

Her father, Yaakov, asked the rescuers to ensure that violence would not be used to get her freed. Speaking through CBS News, Yaakov asked the Israeli government to get his daughter using 'peaceful measures.'

'We need to act with sensitivity,' he said. 'They also have mothers who are crying. The same as it is for us.'

Argamani seemed to live a fun, exciting life, as seen in the photos that she shared on her Instagram.

The only child of Yaakov and Liora, who studied at Ben Gurion University in Israel, appeared to love travelling around the world, based on the following photos.

Noa Argamani's Release

In March 2024, Liora appealed to US President Joe Biden to help with her daughter's release. She was suffering from late-stage brain cancer at that time.

On 8 June, Argamani, together with Shlomi Ziv, Andrey Kozlov, and Almog Meir Jan, was rescued at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip. The rescue coincided with Yaakov's birthday, making it a much-celebrated reunion.

Argamani was also able to see her mother, who died three weeks after her rescue.

She also served as a spokesperson for the remaining hostages in Gaza, pleading for their freedom in front of the world leaders, including US President Donald Trump.

The former Hamas hostage was also recognised by Time magazine as one of the World's 100 Most Influential People for 2025.