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Iair Horn who was released from Hamas captivity on Saturday after 498 days, shared a video message on Monday evening in which he pleaded for the return of all hostages, including his younger brother Eitan.
“The hostages have no time,” the 46-year-old said in his first public remarks since being released from Gaza, where he was held in Hamas tunnels. “I experienced it with my own body,” he added. “I’m telling you—there’s no time for the hostages; we don’t have time. We must bring them back now.” Struggling to continue, Horn broke down in tears, pleading: “Bring back my brother. Bring back my brother and all the hostages.”
Horn was released alongside Sagui Dekel-Chen and Sasha Troufanov. His mother, Ruthie Strom, said Saturday that while she was relieved to see Iair, the family remains focused on securing Eitan’s release. “Until Eitan and all the hostages are back, we keep going,” she said. “Seeing Iair was amazing—I was so happy to see him on his feet. He’s a bit thin, but he’s here, and he’ll get the treatment he needs.”
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On the helicopter flight to Sourasky Medical Center, where he remains under medical supervision, Iair sent a message to his brother: “Eitan, you’re next.” However, Ruthie noted that he had not yet spoken about his brother’s captivity. She described the emotional reunion between Iair and his other brother, Amos, saying, “The moment they opened the door and we saw Iair, I stayed back a little because I wanted them to hug first.” The three brothers share a deep bond, she said, as fans of Hapoel Be’er Sheva and the Rolling Stones.
In a statement following Iair’s release, the Horn family said, “We can breathe a little now. Our Iair is home after surviving hell and torment in Gaza. Now we need to bring Eitan home so our family can truly breathe again.” They thanked IDF soldiers and security forces, expressed condolences to families who lost loved ones, and pledged to continue working to secure the release of all hostages.
Horn, known as “the beating heart” of Kibbutz Nir Oz, was born in Argentina and immigrated to Israel in 1999 with a group from the Habonim Dror youth movement. He moved to Nir Oz in 2014 during Operation Protective Edge and became a central figure in the community, managing the local pub and organizing events. He was abducted alongside Eitan, who had been visiting him for Simchat Torah. Eitan is set to be released in the second phase of the hostage deal.