Israeli special forces rescued a hostage from Hamas captivity in Gaza Tuesday morning, the Israel Defense Forces announced.
Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, a Muslim-Israeli man Hamas captured during its October 7 massacre, was rescued by the Israeli military from a tunnel in southern Gaza and transported to a hospital for medical treatment. He is in stable condition and his family has been notified of the situation.
“Today, the IDF and ISA rescued the hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi, aged 52, from Rahat, who was abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization into Gaza on October 7th,” the IDF said. “Qaid Farhan Alkadi was rescued by Shayetet 13, the 401st Brigade, Yahalom, and ISA forces under the command of the 162nd Division in a complex operation in southern Gaza.”
Today, the IDF and ISA rescued the hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi, aged 52, from Rahat, who was abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization into Gaza on October 7.
He is in a stable medical condition and is being transferred for medical checks at a hospital. His family has been… pic.twitter.com/lGBKa3aaaO
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 27, 2024
The IDF only disclosed limited information about the rescue operation for national-security purposes. An estimated 108 hostages of the roughly 250 Hamas abducted on October 7 remain in Gaza almost a year after the terrorist group’s rampage.
“Qaid’s return home is nothing short of miraculous. However, we must remember: military operations alone cannot free the remaining 108 hostages,” said the Hostages Families Forum, a well-known advocacy organization for the hostages. “A negotiated deal is the only way forward.”
He is the eighth live hostage to be rescued from Gaza and the first to be recovered from a tunnel. Israel has now carried out four rescue missions for live hostages, including a mission in June that freed four hostages from a refugee camp in Gaza.
Releasing the hostages would be part of a cease-fire deal brokered by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar and finalized earlier this month. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that Israel accepted a proposal to settle disagreements over the specifics of a cease-fire framework that negotiators have spent months discussing.
The negotiations gained a fresh sense of urgency after Iran threatened to harsly retaliate against Israel for the deaths of top Hamas and Hezbollah personnel, potentially escalating the conflict between Israel and Hamas into a broader war. Almost two weeks ago, the U.S. and its diplomatic partners finalized the terms of the cease-fire plan and presented it to both sides of the war after 48 hours of talks in Doha, Qatar. Hamas declined to send a delegation to participate in the negotiations.
Although Iran has delayed its attack, Hezbollah, one of its terror proxies, has been launching strikes on northern Israel from southern Lebanon. Israel has been able to defend itself from the attacks and prevent mass civilian casualties from taking place.