Rescued captive Noa Argamani told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "The hardest moment I had was when I listened to the radio and heard you say that the war would be long. I thought I wouldn't get out of here. It was a breaking point for me," Israeli media reported Tuesday.
Noa Argamani was rescued during Operation Arnon in June alongside Andrey Kozlov, Almog Meir Jan, and Shlomi Ziv.
Argamani said that hearing Netanyahu speak and comment on the impending length of the war was one of the hardest things she experienced during captivity.
The sources noted that Argamani told Netanyahu that his statement, which she heard while in captivity, broke her and diminished her hope of seeing her mother again, returning home, and not dying in Gaza.
Argamani shared with Netanyahu that during her captivity, she "saw death before her eyes" when two hostages who were with her were killed. The sources added that Argamani emphasized, "The hostages need to be brought home as soon as possible before it's too late."
Representatives of the American hostages' families urged Netanyahu during the meeting, "Our family members who are in Hamas captivity cannot wait any longer, and you need to close the deal now," according to a statement they released.
Families of American hostages set expectations for the prime minister’s congressional speech
The American hostages' representatives told Netanyahu, "You are on American soil, and we expect you to talk about the eight American hostages in your speech to Congress and announce this week that you have reached a deal to bring them home. Any other outcome would be a failure of your visit to the US."
The meeting also included representatives of the Gevurah and Tikvah forums, known for their right-wing views and support for Netanyahu. According to two sources who participated in the meeting, they called on him not to stop the war and not to advance the current deal on the table.
Ahead of Netanyahu's arrival in Washington on Tuesday, the families of hostages will hold a demonstration and a press conference around the Capitol. "What can parents of a kidnapped child think when they hear about more hostages who were kidnapped alive and murdered in captivity?" said a statement from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. "Netanyahu - sign the deal. Bring them home!"