TEL AVIV: The Israeli military claimed on Tuesday that it rescued an Israeli hostage from Gaza, more than 10 months after he was held hostage by Hamas on October 7.
Kaid Farhan Alkadi, a 52-year-old Israeli Bedouin, was taken hostage during the October 7 attacks on Israel.
The rescue operation, conducted in the southern Gaza Strip, was described as “complex” by the Israeli military. Alkadi was found to be in stable condition and has been transferred to a hospital for a medical check-up.
Alkadi’s release was hailed as “miraculous” by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, an Israeli advocacy group. The organization emphasized the need for a broader ceasefire to ensure the safe return of other hostages still held by Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed the government’s commitment to recovering all hostages. “We are doing this in two main ways: through negotiations and through rescue operations. Both approaches require our military presence on the ground and continuous military pressure on Palestinian groups,” Netanyahu said in a video statement following his conversation with Alkadi.
Since the conflict started, Israeli forces have rescued eight hostages, including seven since a week-long truce ended in November. Since October 7, Israel has launched a relentless bombardment campaign in Gaza killing at least 40,476 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities.
