Noa Argamani Abduction: Israel Says Accused Saher Saqr Killed in Central Gaza Strike

Saher Nidal Saqr, a Palestinian man identified by Israeli authorities as the person who drove the motorcycle used to abduct Israeli hostages Noa Argamani and Avinatan Or during the October 7, 2023, attack, was killed in an Israeli strike in central Gaza’s Nuseirat, according to the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet. The Israeli military said Saqr was affiliated with global jihadist organisations and had entered Israel during the October 7 attack.

The abduction of Argamani and Or from the Nova music festival was captured in widely circulated footage from the October 7 attack. The video showed Argamani being taken away on a motorcycle while reaching towards Or, who was being taken into captivity separately. Israeli authorities said Saqr was the man riding the motorcycle that transported Argamani and Or into Gaza.

According to the IDF, Saqr was also involved in supplying weapons to Hamas during the war. The military further alleged that he had recently been involved in planning attacks against Israeli troops and civilians in cooperation with operatives from the military wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The IDF said the strike was carried out to remove what it described as a threat.

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The strike was carried out by Israel Police’s elite Gideonim Unit 33, according to the Israeli military and security authorities. Israeli police later released footage said to show the strike that killed Saqr. Reports have differed over the exact day of the strike, with Israeli sources variously describing it as occurring on Saturday or Sunday.

Argamani was rescued by Israeli forces in June 2024 along with three other hostages after spending months in captivity in Gaza. Following her rescue, she publicly called for continued efforts to secure the release of hostages who remained in Gaza. Avinatan Or, who was separated from Argamani during their abduction, was later released from captivity in October 2025, according to reports.

The killing of Saqr is part of Israel’s continuing efforts to target individuals it says were involved in the October 7 attack or subsequent attacks against Israeli forces and civilians. The latest operation has renewed attention on the footage of Argamani’s abduction, which became one of the most widely circulated images from the attack, and on the subsequent rescue and release of the two former hostages.

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