Argentine-Israeli Iair Horn was released by Hamas on Saturday alongside two other hostages after 498 days in captivity. Horn had been kidnapped from the Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, together with his brother Eitan, who was not released and remains unaccounted for. 

The two other men freed are Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov and U.S.-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen. 

According to a statement the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) published on social media, Hamas militants in Gaza handed over the three men to officials from the Red Cross. They were later turned over to the IDF and returned to Israel. They received full medical checkups before reuniting with their families. 

Footage released by the IDF showed Horn reuniting with his mother Ruth and his other brother Amos after his release. “First him, I want to see this,” were Ruth’s words in Spanish when they got together, signaling that the two men embraced first. 

Israeli media outlets later published an image of Horn alongside his family holding a whiteboard on which he had written “Eitan, you’re next!,” a message to his brother, who remains a prisoner of Hamas. 

Horn is the second Argentine national to be freed since the most recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on January 19. The first was Yarden Bibas, the father and husband of a kidnapped Argentine family who was released on February 1. 

Ten other Argentines held hostage by the Palestinian group had previously been released in late November 2023 as part of the first ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which saw both sides release prisoners.

The Horn brothers were among the first victims that family members were able to confirm had been taken hostage by Hamas. Their father Itzik made the announcement in November 2023, adding that they were “alive and well.” There had been no additional public information on their condition since. 

The release comes in the midst of tensions between Hamas and Israel that came close to jeopardizing the ceasefire entirely. Earlier this week, the Palestinian militant group said that it would suspend the next hostage release due to what it said were violations of the terms of the truce. Israel responded by saying that if no hostages were released on Saturday, they would resume their military campaign. The situation led to the mediation of Qatar and Egypt, who managed to contain the situation and have it move forward. 

Israel launched its assault on Gaza after Hamas fighters burst across the border fence into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and seizing about 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. In the ensuing war, Israeli Defense Forces have killed at least 46,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.