Israel Army: Another Hamas hostage rescued from Gaza

The Israeli army has once again freed a hostage from the hands of the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. A 52-year-old Bedouin was rescued in a difficult operation in the south of the Gaza Strip, the military announced. Kaid Farhan Alkadi, who was kidnapped in the terrorist attack on October 7, is reportedly in stable condition and has been taken to a hospital for examination.

First hostage freed from tunnel

Special forces had freed him from a tunnel in which they suspected hostages and terrorists, the army announced. According to Israeli media, the man, who has eleven children, is the first hostage to be taken alive from a tunnel.

According to the Israeli military, he was unguarded during the rescue. Why remained unclear, as did the question of whether other hostages were being held in the tunnel, which the military described as a "complex underground system". The Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" reported, citing the military, that Alkadi had heard the Israeli forces during the operation and called out to them.

The Forum of Hostage Families welcomed the rescue operation and announced that the 52-year-old had worked as a security guard in the Magen kibbutz on the border with the Gaza Strip. He had been held hostage for a total of 326 days.

His return home was "nothing less than a miracle". At the same time, the relatives emphasized that military operations alone could not free the remaining hostages. An agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza war was "the only way forward".

They called on the international community to put pressure on Hamas to agree to an agreement and release all hostages. "Every day in captivity is one too many. The remaining hostages cannot afford to wait for another miracle."

Relatives of the freed man overjoyed

Numerous relatives rushed to the hospital to greet their relative. One of the freedman's relatives told the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" that the family could hardly believe that he had now returned home. "We have been waiting for almost twelve months," he said. "We are very excited to see him and embrace him."

The Israeli Kan channel reported that the 52-year-old was one of six Bedouins kidnapped by Hamas on October 7. The Bedouins belong to the Arab minority in Israel, which often faces discrimination. Some of them serve in the Israeli army. The number of Bedouins nationwide is estimated at around 250,000. Many of them live in the Negev desert in southern Israel. A relative told the news site ynet after the liberation operation: "The whole Negev is celebrating!"

According to his office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to the rescued man on the phone. His liberation touched the entire Israeli people, Netanyahu said in the conversation.

According to his office, Israeli President Izchak Herzog also spoke to the rescued man. He urged Herzog to do everything in his power to secure the release of the other abductees. "Do everything you can to bring the people home. Work 24 hours a day and don't sleep until they come back," Alkadi said. "People are suffering a lot, you can't imagine." In the conversation with Herzog, Alkadi said he suddenly heard someone speaking Hebrew outside the door. "I couldn't believe it."

Hostages were last freed in June

"The Israeli security forces will continue to work with all means at their disposal to bring the hostages home," said the army statement. This is the eighth hostage to be freed alive by the military.

The young woman Noa Argamani and three other hostages were last rescued in June in a dramatic military operation. According to the army, there were fierce battles with armed Palestinians. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, 274 Palestinians were killed at the time.

108 hostages still in the Gaza Strip according to Israel

According to an Israeli count, Hamas still holds 108 hostages. At least a third of them are presumed dead. In total, Palestinian terrorists abducted more than 250 people from Israel to the coastal region on October 7 last year. Around 1,200 people were killed in the unprecedented terrorist attack.

Israel's army responded with devastating attacks in Gaza in which, according to Palestinian figures, more than 40,400 people were killed. The Hamas-controlled health authority does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in these casualty figures.

The indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on a ceasefire in the Gaza war, in which Qatar, Egypt and the USA are mediating, have been at a standstill for months. The last success was in November, when more than 100 hostages were released from Hamas violence during a brief ceasefire.

SDA