Israeli Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov) Hospital confirmed on Tuesday (July 2) that Liora Argamani, the Chinese and Israeli mixed-race mother of Noa Argamani, passed away due to brain cancer. Noa, who was held hostage by Hamas, was rescued by the Israeli military last month and reunited with her mother.
According to reports from the Israel Times, the hospital issued a statement saying that Liora spent her last days with Noa and her close family.
“We convey the family’s request to please respect their privacy during this difficult time,” the statement read.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas armed forces crossed the borders of Gaza and Israel by land, air, and sea, entering Israeli communities and engaging in a massacre that resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths. Among the 251 hostages taken by Hamas was Noa, the Chinese and Israeli mixed-race girl.
After her daughter was taken as a hostage, Liora made continuous appeals for rescue. She mentioned that she was terminally ill and desperately wished to embrace her daughter one last time before passing away.
Following eight months of captivity in Gaza, Noa was rescued by Israeli special forces from an apartment building on June 8. A few hours later, she reunited with her mother at Sourasky Hospital.
At that time, hospital CEO Ronni Gamzu described the mother’s condition as “complex and difficult.” He mentioned that Noa was able to communicate with her mother, and they believed Liora knew that her daughter had returned home.
On the evening of June 29, Noa spoke publicly for the first time since her release. She revealed that during the 8 months of captivity, her “greatest concern” was her parents. She also urged for the rescue of the remaining hostages.
“As the only child of my parents and the child of a mother battling a terminal illness, my biggest worry during captivity was my parents,” she said. She further added, “After 8 months of turmoil, I am honored to be by my mother’s side.”