Hundreds arrived in Beersheba on Tuesday at the funeral of Liora Argamani, mother of Noa Argamani, who was rescued from captivity in Gaza. Liora passed away Monday night after a long battle with cancer. She was 61
"My mother is the best friend there is, the most beautiful and strong person I have ever known in my life," Noa paid tribute at her funeral. "I stand here today and still have a hard time digesting. Against all odds I was privileged to be with you in the last moments and to hear the last words. Thank you for being strong and holding on so that I could see you at least one more time and so that father would not be left alone.
"Thank you for the 26 years that I had the privilege of being by your side ", she continued. "I learned a lot from you. You took me to travel with you around the world. You made me a strong man. The tools you gave me are tools I could not purchase anywhere else. Every time it was difficult, you pushed me forward. I promise you that I will continue to follow your path. I promise you I'll take care of Dad. I promise you that I will be just as strong as you. Mom, you will always be with me, no matter where I go and who I meet. And like you taught me when I was a little girl, I love you to the sky and back."
Liora Argamani’s death was announced by Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
“The family has requested that its privacy be respected during these difficult times,” the hospital said.
Liora spent her last days with her rescued daughter, who was saved last month by the IDF in Operation Arnon.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forums expressed its condolences, “[We] mourn deeply the passing of Liora Argamani, the mother of the released captive Noa Argamani.”
Never giving up hope
Since her daughter’s kidnapping, Liora Argamani continually advocated for the safe return of Argamani and the other hostages. She did this while suffering from brain cancer, which is often accompanied by headaches, seizures, persistent nausea, and drowsiness, as well as cognitive symptoms such as possible mental degradation and progressive weakness or paralysis on at least one side of the body, according to the British National Health Service.
Liora’s constant “wish” during her daughter’s captivity was “for the chance to see my Noa, at home,” and she beseeched US President Joe Biden to help in her daughter’s safe return.
In a video, Liora addressed Argamani while she was still in captivity, telling her, “If I don’t get to see you, please know that I love you so much. Please know we did everything we could to get you released. The whole world loves you.”
Following a video Hamas released in January where Argamani is seen announcing the death of two Israeli hostages in Gaza, Liora Argamani made great efforts in securing her daughter’s release and appeared on CNN in December, as well as writing letters to Biden.
During an interview, Liora Argamani said how important it was for her “to see my daughter again before I leave the world...” She said her daughter “deserves to see her mother alive for the last time.”
Hours after being rescued, Argamani arrived at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center to see her mother.
After eight months of captivity, Argamani was able to communicate with her mother, who hospital staff and family members believed understood that her daughter had safely returned home, hospital CEO Ronni Gamzu reported.
'There was great joy when she opened her eye'
Following the announcement of Liora’s passing, her relative Amnon Regev spoke about her on 103FM.
“Let’s talk about joy, sadness, inspiration, cultures – all these things exist in Liora’s story,” Regev said. “You could write a book about Liora’s story.
“For me personally, her story is one of inspiration,” Regev said, saying he was inspired by her “struggles, her faith.” He added that the sadness of her death is tinged with “joy” as the family can “lean on stories” of her strength and faith.
“I was there,” he said of Liora’s reunion with her daughter. “There was great joy when she opened her eyes. Plain and simple, she understood that her daughter had returned.”
“I heard from [Liora’s husband] Yaakov firsthand that she knew it was something she had eagerly awaited,” Regev said.
“And so, Liora’s story is holistic, much broader, much more significant. Someone who came from China, connected with someone from Beersheba, and together, they created an amazing story, and everything that happened – happened.
“All her wishes came true, so there is more joy than sadness here. The strength of these people, in their culture and how they conducted themselves, is simply admirable. We all need to stop for a minute and think about how we conduct ourselves in this world.”
Noa speaks out for the first time since her rescue
Noa Argamani spoke for the first time since her rescue in a video released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Saturday, where she thanked the IDF and urged the return of the remaining 120 individuals in Hamas captivity.
“As an only child and as a child to a mother with a terminal illness, my biggest worry in captivity was for my parents,” she said. “It is a great privilege to be by my mother’s side after eight months of uncertainty. It’s a great privilege to see my parents surrounded by so many good people.
“I want to thank the security forces, our army, the soldiers, reservists, special forces and everyone who took part in the rescue operation and risked their lives so that I could return home,” she said.