Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Sagui Dekel-Chen, Iair Horn and Alexander "Sasha" Trupanov arrived in Israel on Saturday after 498 days in Hamas captivity, with the IDF confirming they were transferred to hospitals for medical evaluation following their release as part of the hostage-prisoner exchange.
The three men, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the October 7 attack, were first brought to a military reception center in Re’im, near the Gaza border, where they underwent initial health assessments before being airlifted to Sheba and Sourasky hospitals.
live
Sagui Dekel-Chen, Iair Horn and Sasha Trupanov handed over to IDF custody in Gaza
(Video: IDF)
"IDF personnel from the Medical Corps and Manpower Directorate are accompanying the freed hostages, providing medical evaluations and support," the IDF said in a statement. Military representatives also remained in close contact with their families, who were waiting for updates at the hospitals.
Horn’s family, overjoyed but still anxious, said they could "finally breathe" after more than a year of uncertainty. "Iair is home after surviving hell in Gaza. Now, we need to bring back Eitan, so our family can truly breathe again," they said, referring to his younger brother who remains in Hamas captivity.
live
Iair Horn reunited with his family at the hospital
(Video: GPO)
11 View gallery
Iair Horn arrives at Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv
(Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen)
11 View gallery
Horn and his mother en route to the hospital; freed dedicates message to his brother who remains in captivity; 'Eitan, you are next!'
(Photo: IDF)
As he arrived in Israel, Horn, a devoted fan of the Hapoel Be’er Sheva soccer team, was gifted a team jersey and requested to fly over the club's Turner Stadium in the southern city. On board the helicopter, Horn dedicated a message on a whiteboard to his brother, writing, "Eitan, you are next!"
Meanwhile, Dekel-Chen met his wife Avital and parents at the Re’im reception center for the first time since his abduction, learning that he had become a father for the third time during his captivity. His daughter, Shahar, was born four months after he was kidnapped, and he had never met her.
Avital revealed their daughter’s name to him, explaining that she had followed through with a name he had chosen before his kidnapping.
"Do you remember what you wanted to name her? That’s her name—Shahar Mazal," Avital told him. "Perfect. What a name," Dekel-Chen responded, moved by the moment.
live
Sagui Dekel-Chen reunites with his family after his release from Gaza captivity
(Video: IDF)
11 View gallery
Sagui Dekel-Chen reunites with his family after his release from Gaza captivity
(Photo: IDF)
On his way to the hospital, Dekel-Chen sent a heartfelt message to his daughters: "Bari, Gali, Shahar—thank you for watching over me. Dad is on his way."
His wife Avital, overwhelmed with relief, expressed gratitude to everyone who supported her throughout the ordeal. "I have been waiting so long for Sagui, and I am so proud of him for holding on through this nightmare," she told Israeli media. "We are about to begin a new chapter together."
11 View gallery
Dekel-Chen and his wife Avital holding a whiteboard with a message to their daughters en route to the hospital
She recalled how one of their daughters had told her with confidence: "I told you Dad would come home."
For Trupanov, the joy of freedom was shadowed by devastating news. On his way back to Israel, he was informed that his father, Vitaliy Trupanov, had been murdered by Hamas during the October 7 attack.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Trupanov’s family, anxiously awaiting his return, had no idea whether he knew about his father’s fate before crossing into Israel. "This revelation will turn what should be a day of joy into a day of deep mourning," they said.
"On October 7, Sasha was violently kidnapped from his home and shot in both legs," his family said in a statement. "Seeing him today gives us immense strength and hope for his long road to recovery. This is a moment of immense relief for us, his friends, and everyone who never stopped hoping and praying for his return."
Defense Minister Israel Katz welcomed the freed hostages back, vowing to continue efforts to secure the release of all captives still held in Gaza.
"Iair, Sasha, Sagui—welcome home. The entire nation embraces you and celebrates your reunion with your families," Katz said. "The IDF remains fully deployed and prepared for any scenario, ensuring Hamas cannot violate the deal or obstruct future hostage releases."
He also thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his firm support of Israel, saying: "We will continue working with him to ensure that all hostages return home as soon as possible, and that the Palestinian terror threat is crushed and eradicated from Gaza."
So far, 19 hostages have been freed as part of the latest exchange, while 14 more remain on the list for the first phase of the agreement.