The IDF and the Shin Bet on Tuesday early afternoon rescued Israeli-Bedouin hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi from southern Gaza, who was held by Hamas since October 7 from Mivtachim in the South.
WATCH the first moments of rescued hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi back on Israeli soil on his way to reunite with his family after 326 days in Hamas captivity. pic.twitter.com/XH0F6Qb8SV
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 27, 2024
The operation was led by Division 162, Brigade 401, the Nahal Brigade. Yahalom anti-tunnel special forces, along with the Shayetet 13 naval commandos.
Alkadi, age 52, from Rahat, is a father to 11 children.
Alkadi is healthy and is undergoing further health checks at Soroka Medical Center.
The IDF said that they had already gathered some intelligence from Alkadi both in the field and at Soroka.
IDF Chief Spokesman Daniel Hagari refused to share any details about the battle to free the hostage and how many Hamas forces it confronted, potentially suggesting that there are additional goals that may be achieved on an ongoing basis later Tuesday.
Questioned whether Alkadi partially succeeded in escaping on his own, though with later aid by the IDF, Hagari did not deny the possibility but did not confirm it and warned about informational security.
It is the fourth successful operation to rescue live Israeli hostages from Hamas, though there have been several successful operations finding and returning dozens of bodies of hostages killed by Hamas.
He is the eighth live hostage rescued from Gaza, which brings the number of remaining hostages down to 108 from an original round of 250.
Alkadi is the first live hostage to be rescued from a tunnel, with all prior live hostage rescues taking place above ground.
Top brass commends the rescue
Prime Minister Benjamin Benjamin Netanyahu praised the rescue, saying,
“Welcome back home, Qaid Farhan Alkadi. I commend the IDF and the Shin Bet for yet another successful rescue operation. We are tirelessly working to bring all our captives home.”
“We are doing this through two main approaches: negotiation and rescue operations. Both methods require our military presence on the ground and continuous military pressure on Hamas.”
“We will continue to act this way until we bring everyone home,” he concluded.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said, “We do everything we can to save hostages. The IDF and the Shin Bet showed courage, determination, and taking initiative in a complex operation.”
Likewise, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised the success of the operation and said the IDF would continue with such daring operations.
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