Long Road to Recovery
Home at Last: Avinatan Or Discharged from Hospital After Two Years in Terror Captivity
Avinatan Or, who was abducted alongside Noa Argamani at the Nova Festival, has been released from the hospital to begin rehabilitation after enduring severe starvation and brutal conditions for two years.
Former Israeli hostage Avinatan Or has been released from Rabin Medical Center (Beilinson Hospital), signaling a crucial step in his long journey toward recovery. Or had been receiving intensive medical care at the hospital since his release from Hamas terrorist captivity in Gaza on October 13, bringing an end to his harrowing two-year ordeal.
Or was abducted by Hamas terrorists from the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, alongside his girlfriend, Noa Argamani. The couple’s capture became one of the most widely recognized and painful symbols of the massacre after a video surfaced showing Argamani being dragged away on a motorcycle, screaming "Don’t kill me!" while reaching desperately toward Or as he was marched off by armed terrorists. Argamani herself was rescued in a separate Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) special operation in June 2024.
A Brutal Captivity and a Long Road Ahead
During his captivity, Or endured brutal conditions. Doctors at Beilinson Hospital confirmed that he suffered from severe malnutrition, having lost an estimated 40% of his body weight due to starvation while being held in central Gaza.
Or’s discharge marks a personal victory, celebrated by his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, who shared her heartfelt relief. Argamani wrote: "At last, we can begin our healing together. The recovery will be long; we still haven’t truly processed what has happened these past two years. But we won, our personal war, and the war of all those who fought to reach this moment."
While Avinatan Or is now beginning a comprehensive rehabilitation program under the hospital's specialized Returned Hostages Unit, the unit will continue to provide him and his family with essential medical and psychological support.
Or is among the many former captives who require extensive care to recover from the physical and psychological damage inflicted during their time in the hands of the terrorists. Four other recently freed hostages; Evyatar David, Guy Gilboa-Dalal, Eitan Mor, and Alon Ohel, remain hospitalized and continue their critical recovery process. The emotional and physical toll of the captivity underscores the severity of the trauma faced by every individual rescued from the Gaza Strip.