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Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli hostages on Monday under President Donald Trump’s peace deal, sparking emotional reunions across Israel.
Among them, Avinatan Or, 32, embraced his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, 28, in a moment captured by the Israel Defense Forces, showing Or kissing Argamani’s cheek as she beamed with joy.
The couple’s abduction from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, became a global symbol of the attack’s brutality.
We must not forget the horrific moments from October 7th, the moments Avinatan Or was abducted into Gaza.
— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) September 30, 2024
Avinatan and his partner, Noa Argamani, did everything in their power to save themselves from hell, once the deadliest terror attack on the Nova Music Festival started. They… pic.twitter.com/uAjeo2LWO0
Graphic footage from that day showed Argamani, forcibly taken on a motorcycle, screaming, "Don’t kill me!" while reaching for Or, who was marched away by Hamas terrorists.
The image of their separation seared into public memory as a defining tragedy of the assault.
Argamani, rescued in June 2024 during the IDF’s "Operation Arnon," has since campaigned tirelessly for the remaining hostages.
"October 7 was the last time I saw my partner. In captivity, I asked about Avinatan everywhere I went. I didn’t know if he was kidnapped or murdered, but I was afraid to know the answer," Argamani wrote on X, marking the attack’s second anniversary.
The IDF and Government Press Office released images and videos of Monday’s reunions, showcasing families, friends, and lovers reconnecting after nearly two years of anguish.
Hostages, handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza, underwent medical evaluations at IDF posts before hospital transfers in Israel for further care and family reunions.
The release marks the first phase of a truce between Israel and Hamas, which also includes the return of 28 slain hostages’ bodies in the coming days and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Later stages of Trump’s plan involve Hamas’s disarmament, an international peacekeeping force, and a transitional government led by global leaders.
Trump addressed Israel’s Knesset on Monday, then traveled to Egypt for a summit with over two dozen leaders committed to Gaza’s reconstruction under U.S. oversight.
He will chair the "Board of Peace" to guide the effort.
Argamani and Or’s reunion resonated deeply, symbolizing hope amid a conflict that has claimed thousands of lives.
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