Upon the release of former Gaza hostage Iair Horn after 498 days in captivity, the Kibbutz Nir Oz pub – which Iair used to manage – has decided to reopen for the first time since October 7, 2023.
"We're opening the bar here in Nir Oz. Iair used to work here, happy and endlessly singing the song 'Od Nagia' ('We'll Get There'), and that's why we're playing this song in the background now. Enormous excitement, a bit of comfort – as much as possible," Ben Avital, a Nir Oz resident, shared.
Another kibbutz resident, Nir Metzger, described feeling "Great excitement and joy about the return and how they're standing strong.”
“We wait with baited breath for all the hostages - down to the last one - to be released, so that the dead will return for burial and the living for rehabilitation. The pub is Iair's kingdom, and we were their regular customers, thanks to Iair's powerful personality and his ability to find joy everywhere," he added.
The pub was established in the shed where Nir Oz's founding was declared in 1955. It holds historical value for kibbutz members, so the reopening is not just a social milestone but also a symbol of the community's resilient stand against tragedy and loss.
"We waited almost 498 days. My uncle, Gadi, returned to us two weeks ago, and with it, so much pain and pressure was lifted from my shoulders,” Yifatch, another resident, said.
“We came here to celebrate the return of the hostages and hope it won't stop – there are still Nir Oz members in the Strip, and the state has an obligation to bring everyone back. There's great symbolism in opening the pub – Iair worked here, and slowly, the feelings in the community are getting better because we hope everyone will return. We can be happy but not forget the others."
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.
"Alongside the anticipation and cautious excitement that we have felt, which intensified following the difficult testimonies and images from the latest release, now we can finally breathe a sigh of relief – we saw them, and they're standing on their feet, despite Sasha and Sagui's severe injuries during the kidnapping,” Kibbutz Nir Oz wrote in a statement.
'A stone has been lifted from our hearts'
“A stone has been lifted from our hearts. At these moments, it's important to remember – 73 hostages are still there, including 20 people from Nir Oz."
Michal Uziyahu, head of Eshkol Regional Council, added, "We will accompany the released hostages, their families, and the Nir Oz community in the healing and recovery process that awaits them. Alongside the joy, we hurt for all who haven't returned, and our journey isn't over. 30 Eshkol residents are still held captive in hellish conditions and must be brought out now. We call for the full implementation of the release agreement until the last hostage returns home. We can put no price on human life."
Gal Goren, a third generation in Kibbutz Nir Oz, lost both parents in the October 7 massacre. His father, Avner, was kidnapped and murdered, and his body was found in Israeli territory after 11 days. His mother, Maya, was kidnapped to Gaza and her body was only returned last July.
"I feel crazy excitement. I am so looking forward to seeing Sagui meet his little daughter Shahar Mazal, Sasha reuniting with his mother Lena and partner Sapir, and Iair reuniting with his parents and brother,” Goren said.
“Meanwhile, we continue to be anxious about Eitan, Iair's brother who will remain behind, and about the rest of the hostages, both living and deceased. We are on high alert due to the ongoing threat that the deal may collapse, and we call on the Israeli government to sit down today on negotiations for phase B and minimize the timeline as much as possible. There is no time left."
"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.
“They're not doing this for us; they're doing it because they failed to protect us and abandoned us in the kibbutz. Now we're paying the price, which is difficult and painful, including the release of many murderous terrorists that no one is happy to set free, but I think it's the right choice. The Nir Oz kibbutz community receives another three living hostages, to join the four who have already come home. We must not stop; we need to continue and bring everyone back."