After 498 days in Hamas captivity, Iair Horn has finally returned home. Freed on February 15, he was released from Tel Aviv’s Sourasky Medical Center five days later after undergoing a series of medical tests. His return is a miracle, but his fight is far from over—his younger brother, Eitan, remains trapped in Gaza at the hands of Hamas terrorists.
Iair and Eitan were kidnapped on October 7, 2023, from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the horrific Hamas invasion that left thousands of Israelis dead, wounded, or kidnapped. While Iair was released as part of the first phase of a hostage deal, Eitan was not included. Now, Iair is channeling his strength toward securing his brother’s release and ensuring no hostage is abandoned.
Speaking publicly just days after his release, Iair described the unimaginable horrors of his captivity. “I was there. I was in Hamas’s tunnels. My body endured this captivity, and I’m telling you the hostages do not have any more time,” he said. “We’re out of time. We must return them now.”
In a recently released Hamas propaganda video, Iair and Eitan are seen together for what appears to be their last moments before Iair’s release. Eitan, his face filled with anguish, decries the inhumanity of family separations, pleading that all the hostages be freed together. “You are now forcing me to leave my little brother here to die,” Iair says, his arm around Eitan’s shoulder. The footage is a painful reminder of Hamas’s cruelty and the suffering inflicted upon innocent Israeli civilians.
Since his return, Iair has made it clear that his freedom remains incomplete as long as his brother and 62 others remain in captivity. “This is the first time in 498 days that I have stood under the sun for this long. I didn’t have the privilege of breathing fresh air. While we are here, enjoying the sun—or taking it for granted—there are hostages still struggling to breathe.”
Despite the pain and the loss, the Horn family remains steadfast in their faith and determination. “The journey to recovery for Iair and our family will be long, and will not end until Eitan and all the hostages return home,” they stated.
Iair has vowed to fight for his brother’s return. “Everyone asks me what I need,” he said. “I need only one thing: Bring back my brother. Bring back my brother and all of the hostages.”
The nation of Israel stands behind Iair and the families of the hostages. We will not rest, we will not falter, and we will not stop until every last captive is brought home.
