At a rally in Carmei Gat, former hostage Iair Horn wept as he described fearing for his brother Eitan—still held in Gaza after 701 days—recalling how every explosion reminds him of the nightmare that never ends.
The pain of Israel’s hostage families was laid bare on Friday night when hostage survivor Iair Horn broke down at a rally in Carmei Gat, as his brother Eitan marked 701 days in Hamas captivity.
Horn, 46, who was freed in a February 2025 prisoner exchange, said the trauma never leaves him:
“Around one in the morning, there was a massive, strong explosion. I woke up, and the first thing that crossed my mind was—I hope my brother is okay.”
Overcome with emotion, Horn was comforted by Sylvia Cunio, mother of kidnapped brothers David and Ariel Cunio, who embraced him as he wept.
“The Nightmare Doesn’t End”
“I—and not just I—have been living this nightmare since October 7,” Horn told the crowd.
“Every day you find some small thing to cling to, something that gives hope that it will end… but this nightmare doesn’t end.”
Horn was kidnapped during the October 7 massacre, along with Sagui Dekel-Chen (36) and Alexander ‘Sasha’ Troufanov (29). All three were released in February 2025 under a controversial deal.
The Price of Freedom
Their release came at a steep cost: 369 Palestinian prisoners were freed, including 36 serving life sentences for deadly terror attacks and another 333 arrested during the Gaza war. Among them was Sarahana Namousa, freed to Jerusalem, while 24 others were deported abroad. It was the largest prisoner release since the war began.
For Horn, however, freedom is bittersweet. While he lives with the trauma of captivity, his brother Eitan remains trapped in Gaza—one of dozens of hostages still awaiting rescue, their families torn between hope and despair.
The crowd in Carmei Gat stood in silence after Horn’s words, a powerful reminder that even after 701 days, the hostages’ nightmare remains Israel’s open wound.
