In First, Former Hostage Noa Argamani Speaks at UN Security Council

Former hostage Noa Argamani, rescued by the IDF last June after 8 months in Hamas captivity, spoke Tuesday at a meeting of the UN Security Council, marking the first time a former hostage has done so. She was joined by Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon.

Below are her remarks.

We were taken by force into Gaza, where I was held in total fear, living a nightmare.

After 8 months in captivity I was rescued by Israeli soldiers.

Being here with you today is a miracle.
But I am here today to tell you: we have no more time!

As I speak, there are still 63 hostages living this nightmare, including my partner Avinatan Or.

In fact, we believe that 24 of them are alive, with many of them sending signs of life through released hostages.

Our lives cannot go on without them, and that is why I want to make sure that the world knows that:

The deal must go on in full, completely, in all of its stages.

Avinatan Or, and the many other hostages are only supposed to be released in the second stage of this deal.

We’re talking about innocent people taken from their beds…from their simple lives, taken into pure hell.

You don’t need me to tell you about 9 month old Kfir and 4 year old Ariel Bibas, and their mother Shiri.

Just a mother and her babies, were brutally murdered in captivity.

The crimes are unthinkable, we cannot imagine it, But it happened.

And that’s why we CANNOT leave anyone there.

I know what it feels like to be left behind, watching other hostages being released to their families.

Every moment there feels like the last moment of their lives.

Every second counts.

While I was in Gaza, I was held with two little girls. Hila Rotem and Emily Hand.

At that time, Emily was 8 years old and Hila was 12.

I had to be brave.

Not only for myself, but also for the girls.

I had to act like everything is going to be ok.

And that’s what I kept telling them.

As long as we are all here together, alive, inside this room, nothing else matters.

I told them to ignore all the bombing, the sounds of shooting, and everything that was around us.

Hila and Emily were both released in the first hostage deal after 50 days.

I watched them and two other women who were with me in captivity- go back to their families, as I, stayed behind.

At that time I wasn’t part of any category that could be released.

I can’t even begin to describe the feeling of being left behind. but I can tell, that this is exactly how the hostages feel today.
Abandoned by the world.

After 54 days in captivity, it was just me, Itay Swirsky, and Yosi Sharabi.

Both of them were kidnapped from their homes in Kibbutz Be’eri.

We were in a war zone 24/7.

It was terrifying for every second of every day.

One evening, the house we were held in was blown up, and we found ourselves in the destruction.

Itay was able to stand up, but Yosi and I were stuck under the rubbles.

I couldn’t move,
I couldn’t breathe –
I thought to myself that these are the last seconds of my life.

I screamed so loud so, someone would hear me, and I heard Yossi’s screaming too.

After a few seconds, I stopped hearing Yosi’s screaming.

I was pulled out of the rubbles – and tried to help Yosi.

But when we got to him, it was already too late.

Yossi…was a pure and kind soul, and he will always be in my heart.

Itay and I had to find somewhere else to hide, so one of our captors took us to another house.

But two days later, Itay was murdered by the same captor.

May their memories be a blessing.

Hamas published a video of me describing what happened to Itay and Yossi, and that I was injured and needed medical help.

But of course J got nothing.

No doctors, no Red Cross, nothing.

From that moment, I was on my own with five terrorists holding me in the same house.

You must understand:
every second in captivity is very dangerous –
I didn’t think that I could make it out alive.

This is why it is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL that we put an end to this horrible tragedy.

Without immediate action, many more innocent people will be killed.

Today, I come before you to say: do not let the darkness take over.

Work forward and get everyone home now.

Work forward the light, and against the darkness.

I came here today to the UN to speak before the security council [this forum] because I believe that you all, the international community, must understand that our hostages are in hell.

They deserve to be back home – NOW.

What kept me alive in captivity and until this very moment was something my mother used to tell me: always be kind.

So, in this forum, let me end with that:
be kind to each other.

And bring them, all of them, home now.

Thank you.