OAN Staff James Meyers
8:21 AM – Tuesday, August 27, 2024
An Israeli hostage being held captive by Hamas was rescued by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) from a tunnel beneath southern Gaza on Tuesday, according to the IDF.
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Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, who was taken by the terrorist organization on Oct. 7th, was found in a tunnel in Mahrat during a “complex rescue operation,” according to the Israeli military.
Alkadi, who is a father of 11 from the Bedouin Arab Community, was rescued by IDF soldiers from the 13th Fleet Unit, 401st Brigade, as well as Yalam and Shin Bet fighters, the military said.
The full details of Alkadi’s rescue were not immediately clear, with the IDF and Israel Security Agency, claiming in a statement on Tuesday that further details could not be released “due to considerations of the safety of our hostages, the security of our forces, and national security.”
The organizations stated that Alkadi was in stable medical condition and was being transferred for medical checks at a hospital.
Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared a video on X showing family members running to see Alkadi at a hospital.
Alkadi was taken by Hamas from Mivtahim, which is near where he worked as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, according to the Times of Israel.
Alkadi’s rescue “was part of the IDF’s daring and courageous activities conducted deep inside the Gaza Strip,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.
Meanwhile, Hamas is suspected of holding 104 of the original 251 hostages who were taken from Israel during the October 7th terrorist attack, which includes the bodies of 34 victims confirmed dead by the IDF.
“We are doing everything to save all the abductees. IDF and Shin Bet forces demonstrate courage, determination and initiative in complex operations in the field,” IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi said Tuesday.
Additionally, the Hostage Families Forum issued a statement celebrating Alkadi’s rescue but reminded everyone of the rest of the remaining hostages being held by Hamas.
“He endured 326 days in captivity,” the group said.
“Qaid’s return home is nothing short of miraculous. However, we must remember: military operations alone cannot free the remaining … hostages, who have suffered 326 days of abuse and terror. A negotiated deal is the only way forward.”
According to the Jerusalem Post, Tuesday’s rescue was the fourth successful rescue operation to extract Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, Alkadi was the first hostage to be rescued from one of Gaza’s tunnel networks, with all the other live hostages rescued from above ground.
For now, cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas in Cairo ended again without a resolution over the weekend.
The talks also included CIA Director William Burns and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
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