The mother of the rescued hostage Noa Argamani has died of brain cancer, less than a month after receiving her dying wish to see her daughter safely back in Israel.
Liora Argamani’s death was announced by Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning.
Noa Argamani, 26, was one of four hostages rescued in a special operation by the Israeli military from central Gaza on June 8. In a video broadcast to a rally on Saturday night in Tel Aviv calling for the return of the remaining hostages, she said her biggest concern while in captivity was for her parents.
“As an only child to my parents — and a daughter to a mother with a terminal illness — my biggest worry in captivity was for my parents,” she said in the two-minute clip.
About 120 hostages remain in the Gaza Strip, including Argamani’s boyfriend, Avinatan Or. They were among roughly 240 taken into Gaza during Hamas’s deadly assault on southern Israel on October 7. Video footage showing Argamani being dragged away from the Supernova festival on the back of a motorcycle, screaming for help as she reached out for Or, was widely circulated.
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“Although I’m home now, we can’t forget about the hostages who are still in Hamas captivity, and we must do everything possible to bring them back home,” Argamani said in the clip.
Argamani’s mother, Liora, was born in Wuhan in China and married Yaakov when she came to study in Israel in 1994.
When she finally saw her daughter she barely recognised her, her husband told Hebrew media.
“There was a kind of response. Liora understood but simply couldn’t express her emotions or say what she had longed to tell Noa when she finally met her,” Yaakov said earlier this month. “Unfortunately, her mother is in a very poor condition. She barely looked at Noa. They met after eight months, but it was very difficult.”
During her daughter’s captivity, Liora Argamani made several pleas to help bring her home, including in a letter sent to President Biden.
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“I am terminally ill with stage 4 brain cancer. All that’s running through my mind before I part ways with my family for ever is the chance to hug my daughter, my only child, one last time,” Argamani wrote.
In its announcement on Tuesday morning, Ichilov Hospital said: “The late Liora spent her final days next to her daughter, Noa, who returned from captivity, and next to her close family. We convey the family’s request to respect their privacy during these difficult times. We share in the Argamani family’s grief. May her memory be blessed.”
