Hostage survivor Iair Horn, whose brother Eitan has now been held captive by Hamas in Gaza for 701 days, broke down in tears at a rally in Carmei Gat while recounting the powerful explosion he heard Friday night, which made him think of his brother.
“Around one in the morning, there was a massive, strong explosion,” he said. “I woke up, and the first thing that crossed my mind was— I hope my brother is okay.”
Sylvia Cunio, mother of kidnapped brothers David and Ariel Cunio, went over to hug him as he wept.
“I - and not just I - have been living this nightmare since October 7,” he said. “Every day you find some small thing to cling to, something that gives hope that it will end… but this nightmare doesn’t end.”
Iair, 46, was released from captivity in a February 2025 prisoner swap deal with Hamas, alongside Sagui Dekel-Chen (36) and Alexander (Sasha) Troufanov (29). All three had been kidnapped during the October 7 massacre.
In exchange for the three men, 369 terrorists were released, including 36 who were sentenced to life in prison, and another 333 who were arrested during the fighting in Gaza after the October 7 massacre - the largest group of Gazan prisoners to be released until that point. One of those sentenced to life in prison, Sarahana Namousa, was released to Jerusalem. Twenty-four others were released to other countries.