Who is Noa Marciano – Israeli Army soldier, 19, held hostage by Hamas?

The Israeli Army on Tuesday confirmed the identity of a soldier, Noa Marciano, being held hostage by Palestine-based Hamas militants, after the armed wing of the Palestinian group published a video showing the 19-year-old woman in captivity.

"Our hearts go out to the Marciano family, whose daughter, Noa, was brutally kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organisation," the Israeli Army said in a statement released shortly after midnight.

"We are using all means, both intelligence and operational, to bring the hostages home," it added.

Who is Noa Marciano?

• It was the first time the Israeli Army has officially confirmed a hostage's identity since Hamas gunmen abducted about 240 people when they stormed across the militarised border from Gaza on October 7.
• On Monday night, Hamas' Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades published a video of the soldier apparently reading a message in Hebrew in which she identified herself by name and identity card number and said she had been detained in Gaza for four days.
• "An IDF (Israel Defense Forces) representative came to the family's home and informed them of the video's publication," the army statement said.
• “The Hamas terrorist organisation continues to exploit psychological terrorism and act inhumanely, through videos and photos of the hostages, as done in the past.”
• Noa Marciano, who reportedly turned 19 while in Hamas captivity on October 12, 2023, is from Modi’in. She has served in the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps of the 414th Regiment in the IDF and is an army spotter at Kibbutz Nahal Oz.
• Noa Marciano is one of 240 people taken hostage by Hamas. According to the 19-year-old's mother, Adi Marciano, who travelled to the United States to raise awareness of the hostages, her daughter was hiding inside a bomb shelter in the Nahal Oz kibbutz in southern Israel when she was taken by Hamas.
• On October 7, Noa reportedly called her mother from the bomb shelter where she was seeking refuge from the gunfire after Hamas attacked the Kibbutz.
• In a statement to the Daily News, Adi Marciano said her daughter and her friends fled in pyjamas after they heard shots being fired outside their home.
• Israel is facing intense international calls to minimise civilian suffering during its massive air and ground operations, which the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says have killed 11,240 people, including 4,630 children.

(With inputs from agencies)

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