Noa Argamani, Avinatan Or: Hostage couple finally reunite after being held captive by Hamas for two years

Two years after being torn apart by Hamas militants, Noa Argamani and her partner Avinatan Or have been reunited, a moment that has come to symbolise Israel’s long, agonising wait for peace.

On October 7, 2023, footage was captured of Ms Argamani being carried away on a motorbike by Hamas militants as she cried desperately, “Don’t kill me”, reaching for her boyfriend.

The image of Ms Argamani screaming for Mr Or as he was also dragged away went around the world and came to symbolise the cruelty of the militants, even before the horrors of captivity were revealed by those, including Ms Argamani, who were released.

Now, 738 days later, Ms Argamani, 27, has finally been reunited with Mr Or, 32.

The footage of their embrace, shared by the Israeli Government on Monday, shows Mr Or first hugging and kissing his parents as his mother Ditza, recites the Jewish “shehecheyanu” blessing — a prayer of gratitude for reaching a moment of renewal — before turning to Ms Argamani, holding her face, and kissing her tearfully.

Emotional photos were captured of the couple, who were once dubbed “Romeo and Juliet” locked in each other’s arms after being cruelly ripped apart two years earlier.

According to Israeli media, Mr Or asked if he could spend time alone with Ms Argamani, the pair shared what they described as their “first cigarette together after two years.”

Mr Or, who was held in isolation in the central Gaza Strip, had no idea of the Israeli Defence Forces operation that freed Ms Argamani and three others in June 2024, only learning of it when they were reunited, The Australian revealed.

It has since been revealed that Mr Or serves with the elite Sayeret Matkal unit — Israel’s equivalent of the SAS — where he took part in intelligence and rescue operations before his capture. For two years, his military ties were kept secret out of fear they could endanger him in captivity.

Israeli officials say Mr Or suffered severe starvation while held by Hamas, losing between 30 and 40 per cent of his body weight. After two years of uncertainty, his gaunt frame and tired smile told their own story.

Ms Argamani was rescued last year in a military raid spent the majority of her time campaigning for Mr Ors’ release. She travelled to Washington with a delegation of hostage families and volunteers, urging world leaders to take action, The Daily Mail reported.

When his release was suddenly announced, she raced back to Israel.

Posting a picture from the airport, she wrote: “Now it’s time to come home.”

As Israel marked the end of a two-year nightmare, the last 20 surviving hostages were released in the same exchange that brought Mr Or home.

Hamas also returned the bodies of four hostages, which included Bipin Joshi, Yossi Sharabi, Guy Illouz and Daniel Peretz in a move that drew sharp criticism from the Hostage Families Forum.

“Hamas’s violation of the agreement must be met with a very serious response from the government and the mediators,” the forum said in a statement.

For Ms Argaman and Mr Or, their reunion has come to represent the story of two years of anguish.