Noa Argamani, a former Israeli captive in Gaza, has refuted media reports suggesting she was beaten and had her hair cut while in detention. In a statement posted on Instagram, Argamani clarified that she was not abused by her Palestinian captors but was injured from the collapse of a building hit by an Israeli airstrike.
Argamani stated, “They didn’t beat me and didn’t cut my hair. I was in a building that was blown up by the Air Force.” She emphasized that her injuries were due to structural damage rather than physical assault.
Her remarks came in response to a misinterpretation of her testimony given to Japanese diplomats. Argamani’s statement was aimed at correcting what she described as a media distortion of her experiences.
On June 8, Israeli forces successfully rescued Argamani and three other captives from the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza. Israeli broadcaster KAN reports that there are currently 109 Israeli hostages in Gaza, with 36 believed to have died.
The ongoing conflict, which began with a Hamas attack on October 7 of the previous year, has resulted in significant casualties and destruction in Gaza, with over 40,200 Palestinians reported dead and more than 93,000 injured. The UN Security Council has called for a cease-fire, but the hostilities continue amid severe shortages of essential supplies in the region.
