Argentina on Monday celebrated the release of the last three remaining Argentine hostages taken by the jihadist terrorist group Hamas on October 7.
President Javier Milei expressed his profound gratitude to President Donald Trump for achieving the release of all hostages and for his commitment to peace.
21 Argentine nationals were among the 251 men, women, and children Hamas abducted during its heinous October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel. Of that total, 13 were released over the past two years and five were murdered by the jihadist group — including 5-year-old Ariel Bibas and his 9-month-old brother Kfir. Ariel turned five in August 2024 while in captivity.
The last three remaining Argentine hostages — brothers Ariel and David Cunio, and Eitan Horn — were among the last group of 20 living hostages released on Monday as per the terms of the 20-point peace plan brokered by President Donald Trump between Israel and Hamas.
Argentine and international outlets published footage of the emotional and heartwarming reencounter between the three men and their respective families — some of whom had also been taken hostage on October 7 and released over the course of the past two years.
David Cunio, 34, was kidnapped by Hamas at the kibbutz Nir Oz alongside his wife Sharon and twin daughters Emma and Julie. Sharon and her daughters were reportedly released in November 2023. David’s brother, 27-year-old Ariel Cunio, was also taken hostage in Nir Oz with his girlfriend Arbel Yehud, who was released in January 2025.
“Thank you all for your warm embraces over these two years; they gave me the strength to keep going,” Silvia Cunio, David and Ariel’s mother, reportedly said. “I can finally breathe a little. But only when it happens will I be able to breathe properly. I am grateful to Trump and remain optimistic until the very last moment.”
The last Argentine hostage, 38-year-old teacher Eitan Horn, was captured by Hamas on October 7 while visiting his brother Iair Horn at Nir Oz. Iair was reportedly released in February.
“After 738 long and difficult days of captivity by Hamas, Eitan returns home. Now our core family is complete. Today, Iair, released in February 2025, can finally breathe and feel truly free,” the Horn family reportedly said in a statement. “We await him with hugs and lots of love, and we will accompany him throughout the recovery process. We will be by his side for as long as necessary, and we will remind him how hard Israeli society fought for him and for all the hostages.”
“My most profound admiration and gratitude to President Donald Trump for his extraordinary leadership and courage in ending the war, also achieving the release of all hostages, including three Argentines — Eitan Horn, Ariel, and David Cunio,” President Javier Milei wrote on social media.
“We also eagerly await the prompt return of Lior Rudaeff’s body so that his family can lay him to rest in peace. Thank you, President Trump. Your commitment to life, liberty, and peace has restored hope to the world,” he continued. “It is an honor to consider you not only an ally in the defense of these values, but also a dear friend and an example of leadership that inspires all of us who believe in freedom.”
Rudaeff, mentioned by President Milei, was a 61-year-old Israeli-Argentine ambulance driver and volunteer doctor born in Buenos Aires who reportedly moved to kibbutz Nir Yitzhak in Israel with his family at the age of 8. He was murdered by Hamas on October 7 and his body reportedly has remained in Gaza since then.
The Argentine newspaper Clarín detailed on Tuesday morning that Rudaeff was one of the men in charge of kibbutz security and received an emergency call on October 7 to protect his community. Israeli authorities confirmed Rudaeff’s death in May.
The office of President Milei released a statement celebrating the release of the three remaining Argentine hostages and highlighting President Donald Trump’s work as architect of this milestone on the road to peace in the Middle East.
“President Javier Milei honors the courage and resilience of the hostages who managed to survive such inhumane and prolonged captivity. For two endless years, they were deprived of their freedom, tortured, and exposed to extreme conditions. However, in the midst of horror, they remained steadfast. They resisted fear, isolation, and cruelty with a fortitude that today stands as a symbol of hope and faith in life,” the statement read.
“The memory of their suffering, both those who returned alive and those who did not, must drive a renewed commitment to defending peace in the region. The Argentine Republic celebrates that after two years, the parties have finally been able to reach an agreement to pacify the Gaza Strip,” the statement concluded.
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here
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