Jerusalem Times: — Liora Argamani has stage 4 brain cancer, a terminal illness with no cure. Meanwhile, her 26-year-old daughter, Noa Argamani, is being held hostage by Hamas.
Noa was kidnapped on October 7, when Hamas launched a massive terror attack on Israel that took the lives of over 1200 people. She is one of 136 hostages taken by the terror group being held captive in Gaza.
Little about Argamani’s whereabouts and well-being is known. The footage of Argamani released by Hamas on Monday wherein Argamani announces the death of two of her fellow hostages is unverifiable. It is not known when the video was taken, and Hamas has made false claims about the deaths of hostages before as part of its use of psychological warfare.
Time is running out for the mother and daughter to reunite
Liora has made great efforts to secure her daughter’s release, appearing on CNN on December 26 and writing letters to US President Joe Biden.
Reading her letter on TV, Liora said, “I am terminally ill with stage 4 brain cancer. All that’s running through my mind before I part ways with my family forever is the chance to hug my daughter, my only child, one last time.
“It’s Christmas, and I want to ask you, President Biden, as a gift for me, to see my daughter again before I leave the world…”
“My daughter Noa is a young and happy woman with contagious energy. She loves to dance, loves music, and loves being with her friends and family. She deserves to go back to where she belongs, to pursue her dreams, surrounded by love and care. She deserves to see her mother alive for the last time.”
In November, Liora was filmed sending her daughter a final goodbye should they not see each other again before her passing.
“Noa,” she said, “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.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also tried to secure Argamani’s release by requesting the intervention of Chinese President Xi Jinping, as Noa has Chinese citizenship.
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.
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