Iair Horn, 46 years old, was released by the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza as part of a new group of hostages. Iair was arrested in 2002 along with Marwan. Currently, out of the 251 kidnapped in October 2023, 73 remain in Gaza, and it is estimated that about half of them have died.
Brothers Iair and Eitan lived in the kibbutz Nir Oz when they were kidnapped on the day Hamas terrorists entered Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. At the end of November 2023, they were honored at their old school by family, friends, and former classmates. They were part of the Jewish youth group Nofesh, linked to Habonim Dror, whose authorities inaugurated a mural asking for their release.
During a release process, the three hostages were shown to Hamas members before being handed over to the Red Cross. After confirmation of their arrival in Israeli hands, they were medically evaluated and reunited with their loved ones. As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel released Palestinian prisoners, including those sentenced to life in prison.
The truce between Israel and Hamas faced the risk of failure, and Hamas even postponed the release of hostages due to alleged violations by Israel. The release of the hostages took place in a climate of tension and doubts about the continuity of the agreement.
Iair, along with two other hostages, was displayed before a crowd before being handed over to the Red Cross and then to the Israeli Army. After a medical evaluation, they were able to reunite with their families. Despite having gone through long captivity, Iair and the other released individuals were in better physical condition than other previously released hostages.
