Former Israeli hostage refutes claims of beating, hair cutting during Gaza captivity

A former Israeli captive in Gaza denied reports suggesting that she had been beaten and had her hair cut while in detention.

In an Instagram post on Friday, Noa Argamani said: "I can't ignore what has been going on in the media here in the last 24 hours, things are out of context.”

“They (Palestinians) didn't beat me and didn't cut my hair. I was in a building (in Gaza) that was blown up by the (Israeli) Air Force,” she stressed.

She said her actual words were as follows: “This weekend, after the shooting, as I said, I had cuts all over my head, and hit my whole body.”

“I emphasize that they (Palestinians) didn’t hit me, but I was hurt all over my body from the collapse of the structure on me,” she added.

She added, referring to the start of hostilities last year: “As a victim of the 7th of October, I will not allow myself to be a victim again by the media.”

Her comments were referring to a statement she made to Japanese diplomats in Tokyo on Thursday.

She said Israeli media outlets misinterpreted her testimony, claiming she had been beaten and had her hair cut while in captivity in Gaza.

On June 8, the Israeli army managed to free four captives, including Argamani, in a special operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

According to Israeli public broadcaster KAN, there are currently 109 Israeli hostages in Gaza, of whom 36 are believed to no longer be alive.

Israel launched an offensive on Gaza following a Hamas attack last Oct. 7, and has continued it for over 10 months despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.