Released Israeli-Argentinian hostage fights for brother still held by Hamas

(28 Jul 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kfar Saba, Israel - 27 July 2025
1. Released Israeli-Argentinian hostage, Iair Horn, being hugged and kissed by his mother Ruti Strum
2. Picture of the three Horn brothers
3. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Iair Horn, released Israeli-Argentinian hostage:
"There was no conversation (with his brother Eitan before leaving him), because in your mind you don't want to have a conversation like it's the last conversation, so you don't have a conversation.We both knew that in a few hours they would take me and Sagui (Dekel Chen) so we just lay quietly next to each other."
4. Picture of the three Horn brothers
5. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Iair Horn, released Israeli-Argentinian hostage:
“Every day that passes it gets even worse so that if we even think about my recovery, the family's recovery, every day added, it gets worse, it worsens the feeling. It gets worse."
6. Family pictures and sign reading (English) “Bring the Horns home"
7. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Iair Horn, released Israeli-Argentinian hostage:
”My life is on hold right now. I'm living in a nightmare that every day they're kidnapping me again. I don't even have the slightest possibility to think about what I'll do in two days. Without my brother Eitan, without the other hostages, I simply can't move forward anywhere, no recovery, not where I'll live, I'm not even important."
8. Tilt up on picture of hostage Eitan Horn with his age changed to 38
9. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Ruti Strum, mother of Israeli hostage Eitan Horn:
"My Eitan, despite everything he's going through there, despite his illness, and despite the terrible situation he's in, he will return to us. He will come back to us alive. And I will see again the hugs of my three sons, enjoying life, being there for each other. And it will happen."
10. Sticker with picture of the Horn brothers in captivity reading (Hebrew) “Iair is waiting to hug Eitan again, save Eitan"
11. SOUNDBITE (Hebrew) Iair Horn, released Israeli-Argentinian hostage:
++COMMENTING ON HUMANITARIAN AID IN GAZA++
"The little food, the little food that you are receiving, so if aid comes in, at times, then you might get some fruit here and there or avocado, things that happened. So, the less food there is, the less for the hostages too. And if there is aid, then there's a chance that another cucumber might arrive."
12. Iair sitting with his mother
STORYLINE:
As Israel has announced steps to increase humanitarian aid in Gaza, one former hostage knows first-hand what that could mean for captives of the Hamas militant group.

Israeli-Argentinian Iair Horn, who spent a year and a half in captivity, said hostages could tell when more aid was available because they would receive more food.

“When there’s less food, then there’s also less for the hostages. When there’s aid, there’s a possibility you might get a cucumber,” said Horn, 46.

Hamas militants kidnapped Horn from his home at Kibbutz Nir Oz, along with 250 others during their cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

He was released on Feb. 15 after 498 days in captivity.

For most of that time, he was held in an underground cell in a tunnel with several other hostages, including his younger brother, Eitan Horn, 38.

Since his release, Iair Horn has deferred his own recovery to fight for the release of his brother and the other 50 hostages still being held in Gaza, 20 of whom are still believed to be alive.

Hearing that negotiations between Israel and Hamas were once again frozen over the weekend was devastating for his family, Horn said.


































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