An Israeli hostage has reunited with the ‘Juliet’ to his ‘Romeo’ after being one of the 20 captives released by Hamas yesterday.

Avinatan Or,32,was abducted alongside his partner,Noa Argamani,from the Nova music festival on October 7,2023.

Footage shows gunmen dragging him across a field while his girlfriend was taken to Gaza on the back of a motorcycle as she screamed.

Noa,26,was freed from a home in central Gaza in June last year,one of four saved by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

Avinatan Or was reunited with his girlfriend Noa Argamani (Picture: Israel Gpo/UPI/Shutterstock)

Ditza,Noa’s mother,referred to the pair as ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in an interview with YNet as they were separated during the October 7 attack.

But yesterday afternoon,the Israeli government released footage of the pair reuniting after more than two years.

The video showsAvinatan,an electronics engineer,entering the home on the Re’im crossing to be greeted by his mother,Ditza. The pair hug and kiss as Ditza can be heard chanting the Jewish ‘shehecheyanu’ blessing.

He’s guided into a bedroom,where he falls straight into the arms of Noa.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also shared a picture showing Avinatan kissing his partner’s cheek while Noa smiles.

The military said: ‘Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or reunited at last.

Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or are reunited at last ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Gw4M3x9Mk4

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 13,2025

Avinatan was a member of the Sayeret Matkal,sometimes called ‘The Unit’,an Israeli Special Forces unit in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also served.

Israel’s equivalent of the SAS is often tasked with counter-terrorism and hostage rescue,with Avinatan role in it being hidden for years over security fears.

A report by the Israeli Channel 12 said that Avinatan was held in isolation and did not encounter any other hostages – he lost about 30% of his body weight.

He only learned of Noa’s release as part of an IDF rescue operation yesterday.

Noa became one of the loudest voices calling for the release of the remaining hostages after she was freed last year.

In a speech to US Cabinet members and White House officials on the two-year anniversary of October 7,she said: ‘Avinatan and I came to the Nova music festival just to celebrate our life.

Avinatan was kidnapped during the Nova music festival (Picture: Reuters)

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Follow us to receive the latest news updates from Metro (Picture: Getty Images)Metro’s on Whatsapp! Join our community for breaking news and juicy stories.‘We found ourselves in the darkest tunnels of Gaza. I cannot even begin to describe those terrible pictures.’She recalled asking desperately around in the Re’im forest after Hamas militants descended,killing some 380 people,if anyone had seen Avinatan.‘I didn’t know if it was murdered or kidnapped,and I was afraid to know the answer,’ she said.‘I’m not the same person that I used to be… I saw it happen in front of my eyes,two of my friends that were with me since October 7 were murdered in captivity.‘Yossi Sharabi and Itay Svirsky were brutally murdered and executed and I survived.’Bring Them Home Now,a campaign group,described Avinatan as a ‘man surrounded by friends,who knows how to cook and bake’.Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were also freed as part of the peace deal (Picture: AP)‘A brilliant,generous and kind-hearted guy. A “classic” older brother who helps out at home and can always be relied on,’ it added in an X post following his release.Hamas released the last remaining Israeli hostages held in Gaza yesterday,part of a cease-fire deal reached between Israel and the Palestinian group.Israel welcomed the hostages home after it freed nearly 2,000 people from Israeli prisoners.World leaders,mediators and civilians alike hope the deal will lead to the end of a war that has gouged the Palestinian region.As of yesterday,Gaza’s health ministry says Israel has killed nearly 68,000 people since October 7.Famine has been declared in the besieged strip,and a years-long Israeli blockade means fuel,food and medicine are few and far between.According to Hamas,which governs Gaza,173 aid trucks entered the coastal enclave on Sunday.‘We note that the quantities that entered are still very limited and represent a drop in the ocean of needs,and do not meet less than the minimum humanitarian and living needs of more than 2.4million people in the Gaza Strip,’ it added on Telegram.