New Delhi:
A disturbing video of a 25-year-old Israeli woman being kidnapped by Hamas operatives became a defining image of the October 7 attack that took 240 Israelis hostage. The shocking images show Noa Argamani pleading for her life while sitting on the back of a police officer's motorcycle. 61 days after the attack, Ms Argamani continues to be held captive in the Gaza Strip.
Israel today posted an emotional post about Ms. Argamani, on a day when most Jews begin celebrating the eight-day winter festival of lights, Hanukkah. The officials asked the Jews to light the first candle for Noa Argamani.
“As Jews around the world celebrate Hanukkah, we ask that you light the first candle for Noa Argamani, who is currently being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas terrorists,” Israel wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“May Noah and all the hostages be reunited with their families this Hanukkah,” it added.
Tonight as Jews around the world celebrate #Hanukkahwe ask you to light the first candle for Noa Argamani, who is currently being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas terrorists.
May Noah and all the hostages be reunited with their families this Hanukkah. #BringThemHomeNowpic.twitter.com/ZF62ntFrvn
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) December 7, 2023
Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, when hundreds of its operatives crossed the border using motorcycles, paragliders and boats. The Israeli government claims that 1,200 people were killed and 240 taken hostage in the attack.
Noa, a Chinese-born Israeli citizen, was kidnapped from a music festival near the Gaza border. Video footage of the incident, which went viral, shows the 25-year-old being taken away on the back of a motorbike while shouting: “Don't kill me!”. Her friend Avinatan Or, 30, also appears in the video as Hamas marches away from her.
Noa's mother, Liora, is currently battling stage 4 brain cancer and has expressed her desire to see her daughter before the disease kills her.
“My only wish would be to hug and see Noa before anything happens to me due to my medical condition. I know she is a strong girl. We are waiting for her. Just the thought of her coming home keeps me strong,” says she. told the Daily Mail.
Two months after the war with Hamas, the faces of Israelis taken hostage in Gaza still appear on individual posters plastered on bus stops in Jerusalem and flashed across buildings. The somber mood prevailed Thursday at the start of Hanukkah, the first Jewish holiday since the Hamas attack.