‘Is my mother still alive?’: Hostage Noa Argamani’s first words revealed after she was rescued by Israeli special forces – as dramatic footage shows daring raid on Hamas compound
- Commands revealed that Noa’s first instinct was to ask about her mother
- She was rescued last week along with three others
- Noa’s face appeared in newspapers around the world on October 7
Commandos involved in a daring raid to rescue Israeli hostage Noa Argamani have revealed what her first words were as they were rescued from the clutches of Hamas.
Israeli forces rescued Noa and three other hostages last week after 245 days in the besieged Gaza Strip in the largest and most successful operation of the war.
Noa was led to a car by her rescuers before being pulled out of Gaza in a military helicopter and returned safely to a hospital in Ramat Gan, Israel.
Noa Argamani made headlines around the world when she was dragged into Gaza on October 7, filmed kidnapped from the back of a motorcycle with her boyfriend while shouting, “Don’t kill me!”
Three commandos from Yamam National Counter-Terrorism Unit, who were involved in the rescue, revealed that the first thing Noa did when she was rescued was ask for her mother.
Commandos involved in a daring raid to rescue Israeli hostage Noa Argamani have revealed what her first words were when she was rescued from the clutches of Hamas
Israeli forces have rescued Noa and three other hostages after 245 days in the besieged Gaza Strip
Noa was led to a car by her rescuers before being pulled out of Gaza in a military helicopter and returned safely to a hospital in Ramat Gan.
In an interview with the Israeli magazine Walla, one of the commandos, who all remained anonymous while on camera, said: “The moment we broke into the apartment where Noa was being held, we encountered three terrorists there and quickly neutralized them , through which we reached Noa’s room. within seconds.”
“The first two fighters to arrive told her, ‘Noa, we came to save you, we came to take you home.’ She was shocked; she didn’t fully understand or believe what was happening.’
‘One of the fighters carried her on his back. She was barefoot. We wrapped fighters around her and left as quickly as possible after making sure the apartment was clear of terrorists.”
“At this stage the air force supported us and we got into a vehicle to withdraw. She was terrified; I don’t think she believed what was happening before her eyes.
‘Her first question was whether her mother was still alive. I said yes to her. She looked at us left and right and asked again if we were sure. We told her yes, “that’s why we came, to take you back to your mother.”
One Yamam commando said: ‘We had to blow up the door, go in and rescue Noa, because we understood the risk of some delay on the way to the target’
Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war
Israel and Hamas are currently weighing the latest ceasefire proposal
Another Yamam commando told the station: “We had to blow up the door, go in and rescue Noa, because we understood the risk of some delay on the way to the target.
Israel and Hamas are currently weighing the latest ceasefire proposal, a plan hammered out by President Joe Biden in the administration’s most concentrated diplomatic push for a cessation of fighting and the release of hostages held by the militant group had been taken.
Although Biden described the proposal as an Israeli one, Israel has not fully embraced it and Hamas has demanded changes that appear unacceptable to Israel.
Fighting continues unabated and Israel on Sunday announced the names of a total of 11 soldiers killed in recent attacks in Gaza, including one who died from wounds sustained in an attack last week.
That brings to 308 the number of soldiers killed since Israel began its ground invasion of Gaza last year.
Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostage during the October 7 attack, Israeli authorities say.
Health officials in Hamas-run Gaza say more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war.