Israel’s military said Tuesday it had rescued a 52-year-old hostage held by Hamas since October 7, in a “complex operation” in southern Gaza.
Kaid Farhan Al-Qadi, a Bedouin Israeli citizen from Rahat in southern Israel, was rescued from a tunnel in southern Gaza by Israeli forces, an Israeli military spokesman told CNN.
“He is in a stable medical condition and is being transferred for medical checks at a hospital,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement. “His family has been updated with the details, and the IDF is accompanying them.”
The Hostages Families Forum, which campaigns for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, celebrated the return of the father of 11.
“Kaid’s return home is nothing short of miraculous,” it said. “However, we must remember: military operations alone cannot free the remaining 108 hostages, who have suffered 326 days of abuse and terror.”
More than 200 people were taken hostage by Hamas during the militant group’s cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, which also left more than 1,200 Israelis dead.
More than 100 of those hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, amid an Israeli war against Hamas that has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, and injured more than 92,000, according to the health ministry in the enclave.
?Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said a “daring and courageous” operation led to Al-Qadi’s rescue. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was “overjoyed” by the development.
Last week the bodies of six Israeli hostages were retrieved from Gaza during an overnight military operation in Khan Younis, Israeli authorities said.
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