Israel has announced the rescue of a hostage in the southern Gaza Strip.
IDF spokesperson, Daniel Hagari said that the Israeli hostage, Kaid Farhan al-Qadi, was recovered by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from an underground tunnel in “a complex rescue operation.”
The operation was carried out jointly by the army and Shin Bet, the country’s domestic intelligence agency.
The military said that al-Qadi is in “a stable medical condition” and has been transferred to a hospital for medical checks.
Kaid Farhan al-Qadi, 52, a member of the Bedouin community in southern Israel, was abducted by the Palestinian group, Hamas during its October 7 attack on Israel.
He had been working as a guard at a warehouse in southern Israel when he was captured by Hamas-backed fighters along with some 250 other people.
Hagari did not provide any details of the rescue operation, citing the security of the remaining hostages and Israeli forces.
The IDF spokesperson added, “We will not rest until we complete our mission to bring all our hostages back.”
In a post on X, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the Israeli military and Shin Bet on another successful operation.
Israel’s Shin Bet is the internal intelligence service and one of the three branches of the Israeli General Security Service.
Netanyahu said that his government is working “tirelessly” to secure the release of the remaining captives through two methods: negotiations and operations.
Both ways, he said, require “our military presence in the field and unceasing military pressure on Hamas.”
“We will continue to act like this until we get everyone home,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Mohamad Elmasry, a Professor in the media studies programme at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, opined that the rescue of an Israeli captive in southern Gaza may embolden Netanyahu to pursue more military operations to appease far-right Ministers in his coalition.
He told a news agency that the rescue would not placate the families of the captives, pointing to a statement “suggesting that they are still adamant that Netanyahu pursue a ceasefire.”
He said that the rescue could be considered a “small-scale” success for Israel but it also underscores the extent of the Israeli military’s failure because it has killed far more of the captives than it has been able to rescue through these operations.
Hamas is still holding around 110 hostages, about a third of whom are believed to be dead. Most of the rest were released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a ceasefire last November.
Israel has rescued a total of eight hostages, including in two operations that killed scores of Palestinians.
Hamas says several hostages have been killed in Israeli air strikes and failed rescue attempts.
Hostages and Missing Families Forum Welcomes Al-Qadi
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing relatives of Israeli captives held in Gaza, welcomed the reported rescue of al-Qadi.
The group described the rescue of Kaid Farhan al-Qadi, 52, as “wonderful news.”
In a statement on Facebook, the group thanked Israeli forces for helping secure his return, which it said was “a sign of light amongst the darkness” for captives’ family members.
However, the group emphasised that “a deal is the only way to secure the return of the remaining 108 hostages.”
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has congratulated military forces on a “complex and successful operation” to return captive al-Qadi from the Gaza Strip but says military operations are not a solution.
“We won’t be able to return 108 abductees in special operations. They don’t have time,” he wrote in a post on X. “We must make a deal and return them home, now.”
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