A former Israeli captive in Gaza has denied reports that she was beaten and had her hair cut while in detention. In an Instagram post on Friday, Noa Argamani addressed the media coverage, stating:
“I can’t ignore the recent media reports, which are out of context. Palestinians did not beat me or cut my hair. I was in a building in Gaza that was destroyed by the Israeli Air Force.”
She clarified, “After the shooting, I had cuts all over my head and my entire body was injured. I emphasize that Palestinians did not hit me; I was hurt from the building collapsing on me.”
Argamani, who was a victim of the October 7th conflict, expressed frustration at being portrayed as a victim by the media. She stated that her comments to Japanese diplomats in Tokyo on Thursday were misinterpreted by Israeli media, which inaccurately claimed she had been beaten and had her hair cut.
On June 8th, the Israeli army conducted a special operation in the Nuseirat Refugee Camp in central Gaza, successfully rescuing four captives, including Argamani.
Currently, there are 109 Israeli hostages in Gaza, with 36 believed to be deceased, according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN. Israel’s offensive in Gaza, which began after a Hamas attack on October 7, has continued for over ten months, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire. The conflict has led to over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, primarily women and children, and more than 93,000 injuries, as reported by local health authorities.
The ongoing blockade of Gaza has caused severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving the region in dire conditions. Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered an immediate halt to its military operations in the southern city of Rafah. The city, which was invaded on May 6, had previously been a refuge for over 1 million Palestinians fleeing the conflict.
