An Israeli hostage being held by Hamas was rescued by special forces after they encountered him alone in a tunnel beneath southern Gaza by chance Tuesday, officials and reports said.
Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, who was kidnapped by the terror group on Oct. 7, was found in a tunnel in Mahrat during a “complex rescue operation,” according to the IDF.
The elite 13th Fleet found Alkadi – a father of 11 from the Bedouin Arab community – by chance in a room about 25 yards underground, two senior Israeli officials told the New York Times.
He was by himself without guards, the officials said. The Israeli military is still trying to piece together why he was seemingly abandoned by his captors.
The first image of Alkadi post-rescue showed him seated in a hospital gown alongside a grinning relative.
Alkadi’s family was seen running toward him for an emotional reunion at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba following the rescue, a video shared by N12 showed.
“I can’t explain this feeling, it’s better even than the arrival of a new baby,” one of Alkadi’s brothers gushed.
“Thank God, we are thankful to everyone and we hope to see him soon healthy. We’re so happy, very happy to get this news.”
Alkadi appeared to be in good health, the IDF said. He is undergoing further tests at the hospital.
The military declined to disclose further details about the rescue, citing concerns for the security of the remaining hostages and the special forces.
Alkadi was taken by Hamas from Mivtahim, near where he worked as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, the Times of Israel reported.
He came from the Bedouin community near Rahat, in southern Israel, the outlet said.
Alkadi’s rescue “was part of the IDF’s daring and courageous activities conducted deep inside the Gaza Strip,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.
Hamas is believed to be holding 104 of the original 251 hostages who were kidnapped from Israel during the Oct. 7 terror attack — including the bodies of 34 victims confirmed dead by the IDF.
“We are doing everything to save all the abductees. IDF and Shin Bet forces demonstrate courage, determination and initiative in complex operations in the field,” IDF chief of staff Herzi Halevi said Tuesday.
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The Hostage Families Forum issued a statement celebrating Alkadi’s rescue while underscoring the need to prioritize the release of the remaining captives.
“He endured 326 days in captivity,” the group said.
“Qaid’s return home is nothing short of miraculous. However, we must remember: military operations alone cannot free the remaining … hostages, who have suffered 326 days of abuse and terror. A negotiated deal is the only way forward.”
Tuesday’s rescue was the fourth successful rescue operation to extract living Israeli hostages from the Gaza Strip, the Jerusalem Post reported.
There have been several other successful missions to return the bodies of the hostages killed by Hamas.
Alkadi is the first hostage to be rescued from one of Gaza’s tunnel networks, as all prior live hostages were rescued from above ground.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced serious criticism from the families of the hostages, who accused his government of failing to prioritize the hostages during the 10 months of war.
Alkadi spoke with Netanyahu on the phone Tuesday, the prime minister’s office said.
Alkadi told Netanyahu that he was sitting with two of his children, and thanked him for their support.
Brokered cease-fire talks between Israel and Hamas in Cairo ended again without a resolution over the weekend.
The high-level talks included CIA Director William Burns and David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
A Hamas delegation was briefed by Egyptian and Qatari representatives, but did not directly participate in the negotiations, a source said.
