The Israeli army rescued on Tuesday Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a 52-year-old Bedouin living in the southern Gaza Strip, where he had been kidnapped by Palestinian militiamen since October 7. His health condition is “stable”, the army said in a statement.
The hostage was rescued in “a complex operation in the southern Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military (IDF) said, adding that it could not provide further details “for the safety of the hostages, the forces and national security.”
“His health condition is stable and he is being transferred to the hospital for further medical examinations,” the Israeli army added in the text, assuring that the family is currently being accompanied. The Soroka Medical Center in southern Israel reported that Alkadi was “conscious” and that his general condition was “good,” according to the Israeli newspaper. HaaretzAlkadi was abducted from Kibbutz Magen, where he worked as a security guard. He is married and the father of eleven children, the newspaper reported.
“Israeli security forces will continue to operate by all means to bring the hostages home,” the army concluded.
Of the 251 citizens kidnapped on October 7 during the Hamas attack on communities in southern Israel, 108 prisoners remain in the hands of the militants, the army said Tuesday. Dozens of them are believed to have died, as are the six who were rescued last week in Gaza.
The Hostage Families Forum, the main platform representing the relatives of the kidnapped, celebrated the rescue but reiterated its call for a ceasefire agreement so that the rest of the hostages can be released and leave Gaza. “We urgently call on the international community to maintain pressure on Hamas to accept the proposed agreement,” the group said in statements reported by EFE.
