Israel Rescued Another Hostage held by Hamas in Gaza

Israel announced on Tuesday that it has successfully rescued another hostage of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas militants during their surprise attack on Israel last October. Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a Bedouin Israeli who was kidnapped in the October 7 assault, is now reunited with a loved one at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba.

The Israel Defense Forces reported that they located 52-year-old Qaid Farhan Alkadi during “a complex operation in the southern Gaza Strip,” as the conflict continues in the 10 ½-month war. The military mentioned that he was rescued from a tunnel but did not provide additional details.

Alkadi is part of Israel’s Arab Bedouin minority and was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, one of the farming communities targeted on October 7. He is married to two wives and is the father of 11 children.

“He is in stable medical condition and is being transferred for medical checks at a hospital,” Israel stated.

Israel’s Channel 12 captured footage of Alkadi’s family members rushing through the hospital after receiving the news of his rescue.

Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a Bedouin (an Israel Rescued another hostage) during the October 7 attack, speaks with an Israeli soldier as he is rescued at an unknown location, in this image obtained by Reuters on Aug. 27, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces/Handout via Reuters)

A spokesman for the White House National Security Council expressed approval of Alkadi’s release and emphasized the commitment to securing the freedom of all hostages held by Hamas, including American citizens, so they can be reunited with their families.

“We will keep working diligently to finalize the cease-fire and hostage release agreement through ongoing discussions in Cairo and Doha,” the spokesman stated in a message sent to VOA.

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Hamas-led militants took the hostages while also killing around 1,200 individuals, primarily civilians. In response, Israel’s military actions have resulted in the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to local health officials. The Israeli military claims that this death toll includes several thousand Hamas fighters.

Israel reports that Hamas is still holding approximately 110 hostages, with about a third of them believed to be deceased. Most of the remaining hostages were released in exchange for Palestinians who were imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire last November.

Israel has successfully rescued eight hostages, including in two operations that resulted in the deaths of numerous Palestinians. Hamas has stated that several hostages have died due to Israeli airstrikes and unsuccessful rescue attempts.

The conflict continues as Israel and Hamas have not been able to agree on a cease-fire to stop the fighting and release the remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel. The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been working for months to negotiate an end to the violence and the release of the hostages.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced intense criticism from the families of the hostages and much of the Israeli public for not yet reaching a deal with Hamas to bring them home.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday that working groups in Cairo are continuing to attempt to resolve outstanding issues.

Kirby said U.S. teams, which have worked along with Egyptian and Qatari officials to mediate the talks, continue to describe the discussions as “constructive.”

He said one issue being worked on is the exchange of hostages still held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, including the exact numbers of people on both sides and the timing of those exchanges under a potential agreement.

“We want to get it done as soon as possible,” Kirby said.

Meanwhile, the United States said Monday that Israel remains under the threat of attack from Iran and its proxies, days after Lebanon’s Hezbollah launched hundreds of rockets and drones at Israel in retaliation for the assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander.

Major General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, told journalists, “I would point you to some of the public comments that have been made by Iranian leaders and others. … We continue to assess that there is a threat of attack, and we … remain well-postured to be able to support Israel’s defence, as well as to protect our forces should they be attacked.”

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U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. CQ Brown met Monday with Israeli Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant and Chief of General Staff Gen. Herzi Halevi in Tel Aviv, discussing both the Hezbollah situation and what is happening on the Gaza battlefield.

“The leaders reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Israeli strategic partnership while also discussing the most recent engagement across the Israeli-Lebanese border and the need to de-escalate tensions to avoid a broader conflict,” Joint Staff spokesman Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey said in a statement.

In addition to Hezbollah’s promised response to the killing of one of its commanders, Iran has pledged to respond to the assassination of a senior Hamas official in Tehran.

Earlier Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his Italian counterpart that Iran’s response “will be inevitable, precise and calculated,” and that Iran does not seek to escalate tensions.

Iran has blamed Israel for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, while Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.