Israeli hostage rescued from Gaza after ten months
Israeli hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi has been transferred to hospital and his condition is stable after his rescue ten months after he was abducted.
Farhan Qadi and members of his family at Soroka Medical Centre in Be’er Sheva. Photo credit: Yossi Ifergan
Israeli special forces have recovered an Israeli hostage from a tunnel in southern Gaza in “a complex rescue operation”, more than 10 months after he was abducted by Hamas-led gunmen.
The military on Tuesday said 52-year-old Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a member of the Bedouin community in southern Israel who worked as a security guard on a kibbutz near the Gaza border, had been transferred to hospital and his condition was stable.
Military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said Alkadi had been rescued in an underground tunnel but gave no details of the operation, citing the security of the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip and Israeli forces.
A military official told Reuters soldiers were operating in the area where Alkadi was found, navigating a complex underground system where hostages were suspected to be held alongside militants and explosives.
“Farhan was found by the troops when he was alone, and was rescued from the tunnel,” the official said.
“As part of the preparations for the operation, lessons were learned from previous events and encounters with hostages.”
Israeli media quoted Alkadi as saying he had not seen the sun for almost eight months, and that another hostage who was with him for two months had “died next to me”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he had spoken with Alkadi, commended the troops for the rescue and said Israel would work “tirelessly” for the return of all the hostages.
“We do this in two main ways: through negotiations and rescue operations. Both ways together require our military presence in the field, and unceasing military pressure on Hamas,” he said.
During the phone conversation, Netanyahu told Alkadi he was “so happy to speak with you”. Alkadi replied: “I thank you for this work, that you have reached a situation in which I see my family and am here. You truly did sacred work. There are other people who are waiting.”
The operation was hailed by Israeli leaders, desperate for good news almost a year into a grinding military campaign against Hamas during which pressure has mounted on the government to do more to bring over 100 hostages back home.
President Isaac Herzog said the rescue was “a moment of joy for the State of Israel and Israeli society as a whole”.
Israel’s Hostage Families Forum called Alkadi’s return “nothing short of miraculous” but that military operations alone will not free the remaining hostages “who have suffered 326 days of abuse and terror.
“A negotiated deal is the only way forward,” the group said in a statement.
“We urgently call on the international community to maintain pressure on Hamas to accept the proposed deal and release all hostages. The remaining hostages cannot afford to wait for another such miracle.”
As the rescue was confirmed, Israeli television stations showed a military helicopter landing at a hospital as medical staff and ambulance stood by waiting to receive Alkadi.
“He is in good condition. He is now going through tests,” his brother Hathem Alkadi told Channel 12 TV, saying Qaid had lost a lot of weight in captivity.
“We are happy we saw him and saw him alive, first and foremost. He asked about his family, if his kids were OK and his mother was OK.”
President Isaac Herzog told Alkadi: “You went through hell there, I understand, it’s hard. The most important thing is to bring everyone back. Thank God you’ve returned, and now you can see your entire big family. We are very, very proud of the army, the Shin Bet, and all the forces that took part in this amazing operation. There are still so many brothers and sisters there, and we want them all home, the entire nation of Israel is with us. The entire country, the entire state. Welcome back, dear brother, and good health.”
The following is the translated text of the conversation Alkadi has with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu :
Farhan Qadi: “Hello; welcome. Hello Bibi, Abu [father of] Yair!”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “Farhan, I am so happy to speak with you.”
Farhan Qadi: “I am also happy. I have been waiting for this moment. I swear to you, Abu Yair.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “Tell me, have you already met with your family?”
Farhan Qadi: “Yes, two of my children are here.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I want you to know that we are truly moved from the depth of our hearts, for both you and your family.”
Farhan Qadi: “I thank you for this work, that you have reached a situation in which I see my family and am here. You truly did sacred work. There are other people who are waiting.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “I want you to know that are not forgetting anyone, just like we did not forget you. We are committed to returning everyone, without exception.”
Farhan Qadi: “I thank you very much. I invite you, Abu Yair.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: “Thank you. I would like you to embrace your family and I want you to know that the entire people of Israel embraces you, and the others. We will bring them.”
Farhan Qadi: “Thank you. May it be G-d’s will. Thank you very much.”
Alkadi was taken hostage in Kibbutz Magen, one of a string of Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip stormed by Hamas-led fighters in a cross-border incursion on October 7.
More than 250 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in the attack, in which some 1200 people were killed.
Alkadi’s rescue leaves 108 Israeli and foreign hostages still in Gaza but around a third of these are known to have died, with the fate of the others unknown.
The operation followed the rescue of four Israeli hostages in June.
There has been little progress reported from talks to agree a halt to the war in Gaza and the return of the hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
By: James Mackenzie and Steven Scheer/Reuters with J-Wire
