As the last surviving Israeli hostages reunited with their families after being released from Hamas captivity after over two years, tears of joy and a warm embrace attempted to heal the scars of their ordeal in Gaza.
Among the 20 hostages freed on Monday was Avinatan Or, whose emotional reunion with his girlfriend, who was also taken away by the militant group during the October 7 attack in 2023, has brought smiles back on many faces.
After two years of anguish and uncertainty, Or (32) finally reunited with his longtime girlfriend Noa Argamani on Monday — a moment that has come to symbolize resilience after the horrors of October 7, 2023.
A video of their heart-warming reunion was shared on social media platform X by user
NEW: Avinatan Or and his
girlfriend, Noa Argamani, reunite after two years.
The pair, whose kidnapping went viral on the day of the October 7 attack, were taken by Hamas from the Nova music festival.
Noa Argamani was released from Gaza in June 2024. The couple was seen… pic.twitter.com/8PGDRoom0o
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 13, 2025
The hostages were released under the recent truce agreement between Israel and Hamas. His reunion with Argamani, 28, who had been rescued by Israeli forces in June 2024, marked a deeply emotional chapter in a story that had gripped Israel and the world.
A video of their reunion, now viral on social media, shows the couple sharing a heartfelt embrace — a powerful moment of love and relief after years of separation.
In the video, Or can be seen gently kissing Argamani on the cheek as she beams with relief and joy — an image that stands in stark contrast to the terror captured in their abduction footage two years earlier.
Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or are reunited at last ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Gw4M3x9Mk4
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 13, 2025
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also shared an image of their reunion, displaying the couple brimming with joy. “Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or are reunited at last,” the caption read.
The pair became one of the most haunting symbols of Hamas’s October 7 attack after a video showed Argamani being dragged away from the Nova music festival on an all-terrain vehicle while screaming, “Don’t kill me!” and reaching for Or, who was being pulled away by armed militants. Their separation, filled with fear and despair, became one of the most unforgettable visuals from that day.
Following her rescue last year, Argamani has used her voice to campaign for the release of those still held in Gaza, speaking publicly about her experiences and the emotional toll of captivity. On the second anniversary of the attack, she shared a message on X, expressing her hope for progress in the cease-fire negotiations and writing that she missed her partner “more with each passing day.”
“October 7 was the last time I saw my partner. In captivity, I asked about Avinatan everywhere I went,” she wrote.
“I didn’t know if he was kidnapped or murdered, but i was afraid to know the answer,” she further wrote.
Their reunion was one of several heartwarming scenes across Israel as families embraced their loved ones returning home after years in captivity.
The release of the 20 remaining hostages was accompanied by news that the remains of 28 others would soon be handed over to Israel. The exchange forms part of the first phase of the truce, which also includes the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Future steps under US President Donald Trump’s peace framework reportedly call for Hamas’s disarmament, the deployment of an international peacekeeping force, and the establishment of a transitional government led by international representatives.
