October 7 · Personal story
Avinathan Or
Abducted
October 7, 2023
Abduction location
Nova festival site, Re’im area
Current outcome
Released alive · October 13, 2025
Released alive after 738 days in captivity.
01
Before October 7
Avinatan Or grew up in Shilo, graduated from Ben-Gurion University with an electrical-engineering degree and joined Nvidia’s development team. Noa Argamani said they met at a Purim party on campus. They were planning to move in together in Tel Aviv; friends and family described him as someone who loved reading and hosting friends.
02
Abduction
On October 7, 2023, Avinatan and Noa were at the Nova festival. Noa recalled that they had bought last-minute tickets the previous day, arrived around 4 a.m., and tried to escape by car after rockets and gunfire began. They hid in a ditch before armed men found them.
03
Captivity
Avinatan spent 738 days in captivity. During their separation, Noa said his absence was a void in her life. She also remembered his support during her mother’s illness: “He was my anchor.”
04
Return
Avinatan was released alive on October 13, 2025, after 738 days in captivity.
05
After return
After her rescue and before Avinatan’s release, Noa spoke publicly about the void his absence left in her life. She remembered how he had supported her during her mother’s illness and continued calling for his return. Avinatan was finally released in October 2025, more than two years after the couple were taken from Nova.