MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine among three hostages released by Hamas

Yair Horn was prioritized for release given his diabetic condition

The pro-Palestine terrorist organization Hamas released three Israeli hostages Saturday, including Yair Horn, who holds dual Argentine citizenship. Horn, 46, was captured during the Oct. 7, 2023, raid on Kibbutz Nir Oz alongside his brother Eitan Horn, who remains in captivity. Yair Horn was prioritized for release given his diabetic condition. Horn’s younger brother, 38, was visiting from his home in Kfar Saba for the holiday weekend.

Also freed Saturday were Russian-Israeli Sasha Trupanov, 29, and American-Israeli Sagui Dekel Chen, 36. Trupanov was captured with his partner, while Dekel Chen was taken while protecting his family. Dekel Chen's wife gave birth to their third daughter during captivity.

Saturday's move was part of an agreement to free 33 hostages in exchange for about 1,900 Palestinian terrorists held in Israeli jails. Since the Jan. 19 ceasefire, a total of 19 Israeli or dual nationality hostages and five Thais have been released.

Yair Horn was handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip. “Yair inherited diabetes from me and was always angry with me. Now if he is released first because of this disease he can thank me,” Yair's father Itzik Horn told AFP.

Before his capture, Yair Horn worked in construction and was very involved in the life of the kibbutz, organizing parties and activities. He was also the manager of the local bar. According to their father, Yair and Eitan Horn were very attentive uncles to their nephews, whom they often took to Hapoel Beersheba football games. The Horn family emigrated from Argentina years ago.

In Buenos Aires, Yair Horn was an avid fan of Atlanta, a traditional football club in the Argentine capital that used to play in the top category but went down in 1979 to never return.

Trupanov was abducted along with his partner Sapir Cohen from Kibbutz Nir Oz, where they were visiting family. But his father, Vitali Trupanov, was killed during the Hamas attack. His partner, his mother Elena Trupanov, and his grandmother Irena Tati were released during the first truce in late November 2023. The Trupanov family emigrated from Russia to Israel in the late 1990s.

Sagui Dekel Chen is a 36-year-old American-Israeli hostage who was abducted when trying to protect his family. During his absence, Avital Dekel Chen gave birth in December 2023 to their third daughter, whom they named Shahar, which means “dawn” in Hebrew. Sagui Dekel Chen is also the son of a history professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.