Freed hostage Eitan Horn tearfully told Ba’al Chessed Shai Graucher about his decision to fast on Yom Kippur for the first time while still in the cruel clutches of Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

“It was the first time in my life that I fasted properly,” he said. “I told myself: this Yom Kippur, I’m going to fast—and it will happen. Shortly later—here I am.”

Eitan was taken into captivity along with his brother Yair, who was released in February 2025. The two brothers are now reunited with their third brother, Amos, and their parents.

Their mother, Ruti, spoke on Kan Moreshet about her long, painful journey until she was reunited with her sons.

“From the very first moment, I felt this is what would happen,” she said. “It took a long time, but they’re here. When Yair came back, it was amazing, but we still weren’t complete as long as Eitan wasn’t with us. Only now does my heart truly feel whole.”

Ruti described the first days after their return: “He’s home, everything’s fine. We’re all starting to recover. After so much time in captivity, every simple action—brushing your teeth or choosing what to eat—becomes something emotional. It’s a process of healing for all of us, not just for them.”

“There’s a lot of joyful crying,” she said. “I always told them we needed to send them strength so they’d come back alive. And now that it happened, they talk among themselves about things only they can understand. We just look at them and give thanks for this moment.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)