While dozens of hostages were freed by the Hamas terrorist organization during the November ceasefire deal, mostly women and children, one well-known hostage was not among them.
On October 7, a video was published of Noa Argamani, 26, and her partner Avinatan Or being kidnapped from the Nova music festival. In the video, Noa could be seen screaming in terror and reaching for her partner as she was driven away on the back of a motorcycle.
According to an investigation by NBC News, the reason Noa was not included among the hostages released last month may be that she was never in Hamas captivity, but was instead kidnapped by a "mob" of Gazan civilians who accompanied the Hamas terrorists across the border and took part in the atrocities of October 7.
The conclusion was based on analysis of text messages, phone records, satellite images and human sources from the scene, as well as the position of the sun in the video of the kidnapping.
Other possible explanations given for Noa's continued captivity are Hamas' refusal to release the final 19 women being held in Gaza and the possibility that several hostages have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.
Hamas has used the excuse that others have been holding certain captives to explain why certain hostages have not been released. For example, Hamas has claimed to have handed over the Bibas family, including four-year-old Ariel and 11-month-old Kfir, the youngest hostage, to another terrorist organization, to explain why Bibas children have not been released. Hamas later claimed, without offering any evidence or proof, that the Bibas children and their mother Shiri were killed in Israeli airstrikes.
In late November, Liora Argamani, Noa's mother, published a video begging to see her daughter one last time due to her terminal illness.
"I am Liora Argamani, the mother of Noa, the beautiful girl who was abducted on October 7th by Hamas to Gaza. I am now sick with cancer - brain cancer. I do not know how much time I have left," the mother stated.
She added: "I want to get to see my Noa at home. I call on President Biden and the Red Cross: bring me my Noa as fast as possible so I'll get to see her."
The mother asked to send a message to her daughter in case she would not get to see her: "Noa, I want to tell you, if I don't see you, know that I love you the most. We did everything to get you out quickly. The entire world loves you."