Israeli forces rescued a hostage found alone and underground in Gaza on Tuesday, marking the first time a living captive has been freed from Hamas’ extensive tunnel network since the October 7 attack that sparked the ongoing war.
The 52-year-old Israeli Arab man, Qaid Farhan Alkadi, was taken to a hospital in Israel, where his large Bedouin family gathered in a joyful reunion. The rescue provided a rare moment of relief for Israelis after 10 months of conflict but also highlighted the painful reality that many hostages remain in captivity as international mediators work to broker a cease-fire for their release.
Alkadi, one of eight members of Israel’s Arab Bedouin minority abducted on October 7, was found during an operation in a southern Gaza tunnel. The tunnel was believed to house hostages, alongside militants and explosives. The Israeli military, which conducted the rescue, noted it had learned “lessons” from this operation. Earlier in the war, Israeli troops accidentally killed three hostages, mistaking them for militants.
Alkadi, who was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, is the father of 11 children and has two wives. He is one of eight hostages to be rescued alive and the first to be rescued from underground.
Footage released by the Israeli military shows Alkadi shortly after the rescue. Appearing unshaven and wearing a white tank top, he is seen smiling with soldiers before being flown to a hospital for medical checks. While he appeared gaunt, officials described his condition as stable.
Israeli forces rescued a hostage found alone and underground in Gaza on Tuesday, marking the first time a living captive has been freed from Hamas’ extensive tunnel network since the October 7 attack that sparked the ongoing war.
The 52-year-old Israeli Arab man, Qaid Farhan Alkadi, was taken to a hospital in Israel, where his large Bedouin family gathered in a joyful reunion. The rescue provided a rare moment of relief for Israelis after 10 months of conflict but also highlighted the painful reality that many hostages remain in captivity as international mediators work to broker a cease-fire for their release.
Alkadi, one of eight members of Israel’s Arab Bedouin minority abducted on October 7, was found during an operation in a southern Gaza tunnel. The tunnel was believed to house hostages, alongside militants and explosives. The Israeli military, which conducted the rescue, noted it had learned “lessons” from this operation. Earlier in the war, Israeli troops accidentally killed three hostages, mistaking them for militants.
Alkadi, who was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, is the father of 11 children and has two wives. He is one of eight hostages to be rescued alive and the first to be rescued from underground.
Footage released by the Israeli military shows Alkadi shortly after the rescue. Appearing unshaven and wearing a white tank top, he is seen smiling with soldiers before being flown to a hospital for medical checks. While he appeared gaunt, officials described his condition as stable.
