Freed Hostages Nimrod Cohen and Eitan Horn Return Home From Hospital

Released hostages Nimrod Cohen and Eitan Horn were both discharged from hospital and returned home Thursday, greeted by jubilant crowds celebrating their long-awaited freedom after more than two years in Hamas captivity.

In Rehovot, residents lined the streets waving Israeli flags as Nimrod Cohen’s car made its way slowly through the city. The released soldier smiled and waved the flag from his window as cheers and applause filled the air.

Ahead of his arrival, the Rehovot Municipality urged residents to come out “to greet him with hugs, love, and Israeli flags.” The city also replaced earlier banners calling for his release with new ones that read: “Nimrod, it’s so good that you’ve come home.”

In Kfar Saba, a similar outpouring of joy accompanied the homecoming of Eitan Horn, who also endured more than two years in Hamas captivity. Horn, newly released from the hospital, waved from the window of his home as ecstatic neighbors flooded the streets to welcome him.

The Kfar Saba Municipality had earlier encouraged residents to show their support, writing that the city was ready to embrace its returning son with “pride, unity, and love.”