Iair Horn, a 46-year-old Israeli-Argentinian freed after 498 days in Hamas captivity, is tirelessly campaigning for the release of his younger brother, Eitan Horn, 38, still held in Gaza. The brothers, kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, endured over a year in an underground tunnel cell. Iair, released on February 15, 2025, as part of a ceasefire deal, shared how humanitarian aid in Gaza directly impacted hostages’ conditions, noting, “When there’s aid, you might get a cucumber.”

The Horn family, originally from Argentina, immigrated to Israel over decades. On that fateful day, Eitan was visiting Iair when militants stormed their home. Reunited after 50 days in captivity, the brothers bonded over childhood memories and humor to cope, but their separation was agonizing. Hamas filmed Iair’s release, leaving Eitan behind, a moment their mother, Ruty Chmiel Strum, decried: “Why are you separating my sons?”

Iair, now living with family in Kfar Saba, has traveled to the U.S. four times, meeting President Donald Trump to push for negotiations. Recent talks collapsed, leaving only 20 of 50 remaining hostages believed alive. Iair’s focus remains unwavering: “I want my brother back.”

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