Former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani marks one year since she was rescued in a daring Israeli rescue mission from Hamas captivity.
By Rachel Avraham
Former Israeli hostage Noa Argamani, together with Almog Meir, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv, is now marking one year since being liberated from Hamas captivity in a daring Israeli rescue mission, the Times of Israel reported. “A year has passed since my rescue, since I got my life back. A year has passed, and on one hand, nothing has changed,” Argamani writes in a post on Instagram. “We’re still at war. We still have hostages clinging on to their lives, each day, each minute, a living hell,”
Argamani was freed in Operation Arnon, a complex IDF mission that brought her and three other hostages back to Israel, Arutz Sheva reported. According to the report, the operation claimed the life of Yamam officer Chief Inspector Arnon Zmora, after whom the mission was named.
In a heartfelt post, Argamani recalled the moment she regained her freedom and the joy it sparked among Israelis, even as the nation simultaneously mourned the loss of Zmora, Arutz Sheva noted. “While recovering in the hospital, I witnessed the pure joy of strangers at our rescue,” she wrote. “Joy that existed even as an entire family’s world collapsed with the heartbreaking loss of their beloved hero Arnon Zmora, may his memory be a blessing.”
“A year ago, Chief Superintendent Arnon Zamora, of blessed memory, led a breaching force into a building in Gaza where three hostages were being held. During the daring operation, Arnon was shot, and he succumbed to his wounds at the hospital. The rescue mission, known as ‘Operation Arnon,’ was named in his honor,” a police statement said, the Jerusalem Post reported. Zamora was 36 years old and is survived by his wife and two children.
The Israel Police told the Jerusalem Post: “During his service in the Yamam (Israel’s counterterrorism unit), Arnon participated in dozens of counterterrorism operations, as well as in the events of October 7, during which he fought against Hamas terrorists in the South and succeeded in saving many lives. May his memory be blessed.”
Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant honored Zamora’s sacrifice: “I salute Chief Inspector Arnon Zamora, commander in the elite Yamam Unit, who fell while leading a daring operation to rescue four hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. He lived and fell a hero.”
Argamani deeply respected how the nation of Israel mourned with her when her mother perished while she was in captivity. “I lost my mother, the person closest to me in this world. I understood that the country was in mourning and there is nothing like the nation of Israel when it supports one another,” she told the Times of Israel.
Her message emphasized resilience, not only for herself but for the broader community, Arutz Sheva reported. “I learned I have to be strong. Not only for myself, but for others… For the hostages themselves.” According to the report, the former hostage also spoke of the emotional toll and her continued hope: “I broke down. I rose again. Dozens of times. And still, it hasn’t ended.”
Argamani concluded her post with a personal plea for her partner, Avinatan Or, who remains in Hamas captivity., Arutz Sheva noted. “The days we’ve been apart now outnumber the days we had together,” she wrote. “I miss him more with every passing day. I worry. But I have to be strong, for both of us.” According to the Times of Israel, she concluded: “May this nightmare end and the 55 hostages return home.”
Photo from American Jewish Committee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uhulw6bt9Gs
