Milei celebrates the release of an Argentine hostage and calls for the “defeat” of Hamas

The Government of Javier Milei celebrated the liberation of the Argentine-born Israeli Iair Horn in the sixth exchange of hostages in Gaza, demanded the release of the rest of the hostages and hopes for a resolution of the conflict with the “absolute defeat” of the Islamic terrorist group Hamas.

“The Argentine Republic maintains its demand for the release of the remaining hostages who remain in captivity, including Iair’s brother, Eitan Horn, and hopes for a prompt resolution to the conflict with the absolute defeat of the terrorist group responsible for the worst attack against the Jewish community since the Holocaust,” the Office of the President said in a statement.

In images shared by Israeli authorities, Iair, 46, can be seen holding a board with the words "Eitan, you're next" on the helicopter that took him to the hospital, along with his mother, Ruti, and his other brother, Amos.

Eitan, 38, was kidnapped alongside Iair during Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, but has not been included in the list of 33 hostages to be released during the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, in which priority has been given to women, the injured and those over 55 years of age.

Iair was released and handed over to the Red Cross along with Russian-Israeli citizen Alexander (Sasha) Trufanov and Sagui Dekel-Chen of American descent, in a pathetic propaganda ceremony held in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

"The Office of the President reports that Argentine Iair Horn was released this morning, after spending almost 500 days as a hostage of the terrorist group Hamas," added the office of the Argentine Executive Branch.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), 70 of the 251 hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023, remain in Gaza and at least 34 of them have died. Three other Israeli hostages (including a dead soldier) have been in the enclave for a decade.

All hostages are expected to be released over the course of the three-phase ceasefire, which came into effect on January 19, according to the cessation of hostilities agreements.

"Their release is taking place within the framework of the exchange of hostages and the ceasefire between the State of Israel and Hamas, promoted by the President of the United States, Donald Trump," the Argentine government said in the document.

The sinister and theatrical Hamas-organized release ceremony took place on a stage in a section of Gaza, where the hostages were forced to make speeches calling on the Jerusalem government to maintain the truce, and then herded into Red Cross vehicles bound for Israeli territory. Israel released 369 Palestinian terrorist prisoners in exchange for the three hostages.

Agencies contributed to this Aurora article