“Time to Begin Healing Together”: Israeli Hostage Couple Reunited After 738 Days in Captivity

An Israeli couple abducted during the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 has finally been reunited after nearly two years in captivity.

Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or were kidnapped from the Nova music festival, one of the deadliest scenes during the coordinated assault. Video footage of Ms Argamani being forcibly taken away on a motorbike became one of the defining images of the tragedy.

Ms Argamani was rescued on 8 June 2024 during a special forces operation. Her partner, Avinatan Or, was held separately in Gaza for 738 days and was released this week as part of a broader ceasefire deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.

In an emotional Instagram post shared shortly after their reunion, Ms Argamani wrote, “Two years since the last moment I saw Avinatan, my love. Two years since terrorists kidnapped us, tore us apart in front of the whole world.”

Now reunited, she said they are ready to “begin healing together.”

Israeli media reported that the couple shared their first cigarette together since 2023, a small but poignant symbol of reconnection after their long separation.

Ms Argamani described her time in captivity held with other women and children in residential buildings while Avinatan, she said, was kept in Hamas tunnels, with little to no contact with the outside world.

“Hamas released proof of life from me, but there was complete silence about Avinatan,” she wrote in Hebrew. “We won our personal war, and the world fought with us to reach this moment.”

She also thanked President Trump for his role in facilitating the deal that secured the release of hostages, saying his intervention helped them “overcome the darkness.”

Avinatan Or’s father, Yaron Or, spoke to Israeli media about the harsh conditions his son endured. He revealed that Avinatan who stands nearly 2 meters tall was held for months in confined underground spaces as small as 1.8 meters high, with minimal food and almost no human interaction.

“He had no books, no contact, nothing,” his father said. “At one point, he was given a Rubik’s Cube. That was all.”

According to him, Avinatan was once beaten after attempting to escape while being moved through a tunnel.

“His guards were people who had lost family members in Israeli airstrikes. It’s a miracle they didn’t harm him more,” Mr. Or added.

He noted that his son is slowly beginning to share his experiences: “We’re not pushing him he’s opening up bit by bit. Physically, he’s still recovering. But mentally, thank God, he’s the same Avinatan same humour, same strength.”

The couple’s reunion has offered a rare moment of relief in a deeply painful conflict, reminding many of the human stories behind the headlines.