Noa Argamani Shares Powerful Message at 2025 TIME100 Gala After 245 Days in Captivity

Noa Argamani shares emotional speech at the TIME100 Gala, calling for action to free the remaining hostages after 245 days in Hamas captivity.

At the 2025 TIME100 Gala in New York City, Noa Argamani delivered a moving appearance and speech, just months after being freed from 245 days in captivity by Hamas.

Argamani was taken hostage during the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack at the Nova Music Festival—an event that marked the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. On the red carpet, she reflected on her experience, revealing how painful it was to visit the traveling Nova Exhibition: “It was too much to handle. Too much to carry,” she admitted, though she insisted it was important to witness.

Separated from her partner, Avinatan Or, during the attack, Argamani said she constantly asked about his whereabouts during her captivity but never received answers. “I didn’t know if he was alive… I didn’t want to know the answer because it was too much for me,” she said.

Despite her release, Argamani made it clear that she won’t find peace until the remaining 59 hostages—including her partner—are also freed. “Until Avinatan comes back, I will not heal. I will fight with everything I have to bring them home.”

During the gala, she was one of a few honorees invited to speak. In her heartfelt remarks, she urged the high-profile audience to use their platforms to keep the spotlight on those still in captivity: “Help make sure that the world will not look away.”

Doug Emhoff, former Second Gentleman of the U.S., honored her in TIME’s tribute, calling her “a symbol of Jewish resilience.” At the afterparty, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt described her as “one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met.”