The friend of a woman who was taken hostage by Hamas after they attacked an Israeli music festival claims he had no idea what happened to her until he saw a video the kidnap on Instagram.
Noa Argamani, now 26, hasn't been seen since she was captured from the Supernova Desert Music Festival near the border with Gaza on October 7, the Daily Star previously reported. In footage captured during the assault, Noa could be heard screaming: "Don’t kill me," as she was wheeled away on the back of a militant's motorbike.
The clip showed her desperately reaching out to her boyfriend, Avi Nathan, who is also still missing.
READ MORE: Woman taken hostage by Hamas begs to 'get her out of Gaza' in chilling clip
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Childhood pal Yan Gorjaltsan, who works as a paramedic caring for victims of the onslaught in southern Israel, has now recalled the moment he learned of Noa's disappearance. Concerned for his friend, the 27-year-old took to social media to ask if anyone had any information about her whereabouts.
It was then he was sent the now-viral video of Noa's capture. Speaking to Insider, Yan said: "This was the moment I realised that Noa had been kidnapped. Something terrible is happening."
After seeing the harrowing footage, Yan and some of Noa's other friends went to hospital to await news with Noa’s family. The missing woman's parents recently shared a touching tribute on her birthday and begged for her safe return.
"[Noa's] parents ask that we all wish her a happy birthday with the hope that maybe somehow these messages will reach her," the post on X (formerly Twitter) read. "Please share. #HappyBirthdayNoa."
The clip also showed Avi being marched with his hands behind his back by Hamas fighters. Another of Yan's friends, Ori Tshernihovski, also attended the festival and is currently missing.
He added: "This is not a dream. This horror movie is reality," he added, admitting it was "impossible to escape" videos of massacres by Hamas troops from Israel. Yan said Noa's father even "lost his consciousness" when he saw the video of his only daughter.
Another clip has since surfaced which appears to show Noa drinking from a water bottle. Yan said the surroundings didn't look like Israel, and her family believe the new footage was taken somewhere in Gaza.
Since Hamas launched its initial attack earlier this month, Israel has retaliated with a series of airstrikes after the country's defence minister called for a "complete siege." The rebuttal has left the area with limited food, water, electricity, and hospital supplies.
An estimated 4,200 people have been killed since the start of the attack less than two weeks ago and an estimated one million people are displaced.
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