The Israeli army announced on Tuesday that it had rescued Kaid Farhan Alkadi, a Bedouin from southern Israel held hostage in the Gaza Strip, during a “complex operation” in the south of the Palestinian territory.
“The Army and the Shin Bet“, Israeli domestic intelligence,”rescued hostage Kaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, from Rahat“, a Bedouin town in the Negev Desert,”who was kidnapped by the terrorist organization Hamas and taken to the Gaza Strip on October 7“, the army said in a statement.
The army did not give further details on the operation, citing “the safety of hostages, military forces and national security“.
Army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told a news briefing that Mr. Alkadi was found in “an underground tunnel“.
He insisted he would not give any further details.”for security reasons“and refused to answer the question of whether Mr. Alkadi had been held in this tunnel with other hostages.
A week ago, six hostage bodies were found in the same tunnel.
Kaid Farhan Alkadi, a father of 11, was working as a security guard at Kibbutz Magen, which borders the Gaza Strip, when he was abducted on October 7 during the Hamas attack in Israel that sparked the war, according to the Hostages’ Families Forum.
Agreement: “only way forward”
Soroka Hospital in Beersheva (south), which received the former hostage, said in a statement:that his health was good” and that he had met his family.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with Mr. Alkadi, his office said.
He also said that Israel was leading “negotiations and rescue operations” in order to free all the hostages.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also welcomed “the rescue successful” and described his release as “happy moment for the State of Israel and Israeli society“, according to a statement from his office.
Of the 251 people abducted on the day of the Hamas attack, 104 are still being held in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the army.
“The other hostages cannot afford to wait for another miracle like this (…), a negotiated settlement is the only way forward“, pleaded the Hostages’ Families Forum on Tuesday.
“We call on the international community to maintain pressure on Hamas to accept the agreement and release all hostages.“, adds his press release.
Negotiations are underway between Israel and Qatari, Egyptian and American mediators to reach a ceasefire in Gaza that includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Hamas is not participating.
The war was triggered by the October 7 attack that killed 1,199 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to a count based on official data.
The Israeli reprisals have left at least 40,476 dead in Gaza, according to the Hamas government’s health ministry, and caused a humanitarian and health disaster in the besieged territory.
