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After 498 days in Hamas captivity, Israeli hostages Sagui Dekel-Chen, Iair Horn and Sasha Troufanov were released on Saturday. Their families and friends gathered in anticipation, watching as they were handed over to the International Red Cross.
Dekel-Chen's wife, Avital, celebrated his return with family and friends. "He’s very handsome!" she said as he appeared on screen. His relatives opened a bottle of champagne, overwhelmed with relief.
Dekel-Chen, who ran a local grocery store with his wife, was celebrated by his community upon his release. "We're thrilled to see him standing," a relative said. "We just want to hug him."
During his captivity, Dekel-Chen, 36, became a father to a daughter, Shahar, whom he has yet to meet. "It's joyful, but also heartbreaking," a friend said. "So many hostages are still there. They must all come home."
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Horn, 46, is set to reunite with his mother and brother at the IDF’s Re’im base. Originally from Argentina, he made Aliyah in 1999 and became a central figure in Kibbutz Nir Oz, where he ran the local pub and organized community events. He was abducted alongside his brother, Eitan, who remains in Gaza and is expected to be released in the second phase of the hostage deal.
Horn’s family watched his release with a mix of relief and distress, noting his significant weight loss. "He looks like he lost half his weight," one relative murmured. His uncle, Sergio Schmiel, acknowledged the emotional toll: "It's hard to celebrate when one brother returns and the other remains captive. Their mother always said they were inseparable. Iair will struggle knowing he left Eitan behind."
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Footage of hostages being delivered to the Red Cross
(Video: Reuters)
Ahead of the release, Nir Oz published figures on the toll of October 7: 76 residents were kidnapped, including 40 women and children, of whom 49 have since been released. Seven bodies have been recovered in IDF operations. In total, over a quarter of the kibbutz’s population was murdered or taken hostage.
"We’re waiting for the day all of them return," a family friend said. "Our joy will only be complete when every hostage is back home."