Rescued hostage Noa Argamani to fly with Netanyahu to DC

The list also includes families of the Israelis taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza in 2014.

By JNS

Noa Argamani, whom security forces rescued from Gaza along with three other hostages on June 8, and her father, Yaakov, will join Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington next week for his address to Congress.

The premier invited rescued and released hostages and their families to accompany him on the trip, although many have not yet responded.

A political source told Ynet that those expected to join Netanyahu aboard the newly inaugurated state airplane Wing of Zion will be “representatives of captive soldiers and civilians, men and women who attended the Nova music festival and those from the affected kibbutzim and cities, Jews and non-Jews.”

The list also includes families of the Israelis taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza in 2014.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for the hostages and the missing, compiled the list.

Others who accepted Netanyahu’s invitation include Ditza Or, the mother of Noa Argamani’s partner Avinatan Or; Ayelet Samerano, the mother of Yonatan Samerano; and Tali Gueli, the mother of the late Ran Gueli.

Some rejected the invite, including Ayelet Levy, the mother of captive Naama Levy. Other families reportedly refused until a full agreement on returning the hostages is reached.

Sasha Ariev, the sister of captive soldier Karina Ariev, told Ynet she hasn’t accepted the invitation yet: “I want to see progress,” she said. “I can’t fly in peace until I see a deal is in the works.”

Yalon Gat, the brother of captive Carmel Gat, and Eliyahu Bibas, the father of captive Yarden Bibas, are considering accepting the invitation.