Ruthie Strom, mother of Iair Horn, who was released on Sunday after 498 days in Hamas captivity, spoke with 103FM about her son’s condition, her son Eitan, who remains in captivity, and her criticism of those opposing the hostage deal.
“We keep going. My Itush [Eitan] also needs to be here, and so do all the hostages,” Strom said. Addressing opponents of the deal, she added, “I don’t think it’s the entire Israeli government. Some say we shouldn’t reach an agreement. Maybe they should send their children to Gaza to understand what it’s like for a mother whose two sons are there.”
She continued, “They have no shame; they keep pushing their political agendas. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but at some point, we need to come together to heal as a nation.”
Speaking about Iair’s condition, Strom said he is “perfectly fine” despite significant weight loss. “He walks, smiles, talks, is aware of everything, and most importantly, he’s with us. Of course, we’ll keep going until Eitan is home too.”
She recounted that during their flight back to Israel, Iair insisted on flying over Turner Stadium. “They asked if he wanted another round. Later, he watched the game with us and couldn’t believe he was seeing himself on TV.”
Describing Iair’s captivity, she said, “It wasn’t easy for him. He was in the tunnels most of the time and suffered several blows to the head. But he got through it.” She added, “He’s stable, everything is fine. All his medical tests have come back clear.”
Horn, 46, was abducted from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. His father, Itzik Horn, did not know that Eitan had traveled to Kibbutz Nir Oz to visit his brother, leading to both being kidnapped. Born in Israel, Iair moved to Argentina with his family at age two, returning to Israel in 1999 to settle in Kibbutz HaLamed-Heh.
Back to normalcy?
Upon the release of Iair Horn after 498 days in captivity, the Kibbutz Nir Oz pub – which Iair used to manage – decided to reopen for the first time since October 7, 2023, on Saturday. The community hopes the pub will again become the center of social life in Nir Oz – a place for meeting, remembrance, and hope for continued returns home.
“For the community, it’s an incredible joy, a feeling that we haven’t been abandoned, that the State of Israel finally chose to return its hostages,” Yizhar Lifshitz, son of hostage Oded Lifshitz from Nir Oz, said.
Sagui Dekel-Chen, Horn, and Alexander Sasha Troufanov were all held in Khan Yunis in the tunnels up until very recently, when they were moved to apartments above ground.
Jesus Christ is King
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