Rescued hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi told the IDF that he heard a woman speaking Hebrew in nearby tunnels, but his testimony was ignored, according to a Saturday report by N12.
On August 27, the IDF successfully rescued Qaid Farhan Alkadi from a tunnel in Tel Sultan, Gaza. During his debriefing, Alkadi mentioned hearing a woman speaking Hebrew weeks prior to his rescue, the report said.
Despite repeating this account twice, the IDF initially dismissed his claims, questioning their reliability. A few days later, the bodies of six hostages were discovered in a tunnel close to the area of Alkadi’s rescue.
Alkadi distinctly recalled hearing a female voice saying, “Good morning.” Given that Hamas tunnels are not typically used to detain Muslim women, this statement suggested the possibility of other hostages being nearby. Alkadi reiterated his account during an interrogation by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), which occurred two days before the six hostages were killed.
In the early hours of August 30, Hamas operatives murdered six hostages: Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Alexander Lubanov, Almog Sarusi, and Staff Sergeant Ori Danino.
Security officials believe the killings were motivated by fear of advancing IDF forces. The victims’ remains were later found about a kilometer from where Alkadi had been rescued during an operation in Rafah, and the bodies were subsequently returned to Israel through the combined efforts of the IDF and Shin Bet.
Problems verifying the testimony
From the outset, skepticism surrounded Alkadi’s testimony. The IDF speculated that he might have been moved to a different tunnel or that he had misheard the voice. However, emerging evidence suggests that Alkadi may have been in close proximity to the six hostages at the time of their deaths.
Earlier this week, IDF findings were shared with the families of the victims and the Chief of Staff. The investigation concluded that the six were killed in a Rafah tunnel more than a day before IDF forces reached the location. During the operation, Nahal Brigade soldiers neutralized two Hamas operatives believed to be involved in the murders.
The report also said that while interrogating Alkadi in Israel, his testimony about hearing Hebrew speakers in the tunnel was not thoroughly investigated. This decision, rooted in doubts over the account’s credibility, ultimately delayed further action. Military officials later suspended operations in the area to reassess the situation.
According to N12, Military sources have defended the decision-making process, noting the challenges in verifying testimony under duress and the complexities of navigating Hamas’s extensive tunnel networks.
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