Middle East - Freed Gaza hostage calls for overcoming hatred
The recently released Israeli woman Noa Argamani called for overcoming hate in an emotional video message. "I wish us all peaceful and quiet days, days where we are surrounded by family, friends, and good people. The most important thing is that we learn to love and not to hate," said the 26-year-old in the video played at a large rally in Israel's coastal city Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. "Although I am back home, we cannot forget the hostages who are still held by Hamas," Argamani added. The young Israeli woman and three other hostages were freed three weeks ago during an Israeli military operation in the contested Gaza Strip. The fate of the young woman who was taken from the Nova Music Festival in Israel to the adjacent coastal area had caused worldwide sympathy. Recordings of her being abducted on a motorcycle by terrorists, crying and begging for help, have been circulating in social media for months. The friend of the student, who is also still in the custody of Hamas, is reportedly the only other known hostage besides him. Around 120 other hostages are believed to be held in the Gaza Strip, many of whom may already be dead.
Argamani thanks her rescuers
According to reports from the Hamas-controlled health authority, 274 Palestinians were killed and around 700 others injured during the rescue operation for Argamani and the other three hostages. A spokesperson for the Israeli army spoke of fewer than 100 deaths. Argamani thanked her rescuers in the video. According to Israeli media reports, Argamani learned good Arabic during her time as a hostage. She became a kind of "representative" for other female hostages with whom she had been briefly detained. Since her release after 246 days in captivity, Argamani has been intensively involved in caring for her mother, who is suffering from cancer and comes from China. [End of translation]
- The conflicts in the Palestinian territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip, have resulted in numerous casualties among the local people, with the Middle East region witnessing ongoing tensions between Hamas and Israel.
- The Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip was a response to the hostage situation involving Noa Argamani and other individuals, which had sparked international concern.
- Despite being back home in Tel Aviv, Argamani continues to express concern for those still held in the Gaza Strip, including her friend, as well as the over 100 other hostages believed to be in captivity.
- Argamani's experiences during her captivity in the Gaza Strip have allowed her to develop a unique understanding of the Arabic language, enabling her to act as a liaison for other female hostages she met during her ordeal.
- Overcoming the hatred and divisiveness in the Middle East has become a central theme in Argamani's message, emphasizing the importance of love and unity in the aftermath of the war and hostage situations in the Palestinian territories.
