Noa Argamani, an Israeli woman who was freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza in June, has revealed something surprising. On Friday, she said her injuries weren’t caused by Hamas fighters but by an Israeli air strike that happened during her rescue.
Argamani was taken by Palestinian armed groups during the attack on October 7th. She shared her story with diplomats from the G7 countries in Tokyo on Wednesday, explaining what happened. But just two days later, she had to clear up a big misunderstanding on Instagram.
According to Argamani, some Israeli media reports twisted her words. They claimed she had been beaten or had her hair shaved by Hamas fighters, but she denied this. Instead, she said that her injuries came from a wall collapsing due to an Israeli air strike.
“I was hurt by the collapse of a wall from an [Israeli] air strike, not by Hamas,” Argamani wrote. She emphasized that she didn’t want to be victimized again by misleading media stories.
Argamani, who is 26, was one of four Israelis rescued during an Israeli attack on Gaza’s Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah refugee camps. This operation resulted in the deaths of at least 236 Palestinians, including many women and children.
In her detailed account, Argamani described her survival as a “miracle.” She was referring to how she survived both the initial attack on October 7th, the air strike that injured her, and the rescue operation.
Argamani also highlighted the urgent need to free other Israeli captives. Her boyfriend, Avinatan Or, is still held by Hamas, among 105 people believed to be in Gaza. The Israeli military has reported that 34 of these captives are dead.
“My boyfriend Avinatan is still there, and we must bring everyone back before it’s too late,” Argamani stressed. She wants to avoid more loss of lives.
After her abduction, her father prayed for peace, hoping for an end to the suffering of both the captives and Palestinians in Gaza. He believes that stopping the killing is essential for achieving real peace between the two sides.
