In a meticulously executed operation on Tuesday, Israeli special forces successfully rescued Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a 52-year-old Israeli Bedouin hostage, from a tunnel network in southern Gaza. Alkadi, who had been in Hamas captivity since the October 7 attacks, was found in stable condition and swiftly transferred to Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva for medical evaluation.
Video: Alkadi's emotional reunion with the IDF / Credit: IDF Spokespersons Unit
Alkadi, a father of 11 who resided south of Rahat, was extricated from a subterranean tunnel in southern Gaza. The rescue was a joint effort involving elite units from across Israel's security apparatus: the Navy's Shayetet 13 commando unit, the 401st Brigade, the Combat Engineering Corps' specialized Yahalom unit, and operatives from the Shin Bet security service. Following his rescue, Alkadi was immediately airlifted to Soroka Medical Center in Beer Sheva, where medical officials reported his condition as stable and favorable.
Video: IDF special forces escort rescued hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi to Soroka Medical Center / Credit: IDF Spokespersons Unit
For years, Alkadi had been employed as a security guard at the packing facility in Kibbutz Magen, the site from which he was forcibly taken during the October 7 attacks. In the chaotic aftermath of that day, his family made desperate attempts to contact him by phone, all to no avail. It was only after an agonizing wait of several weeks that they received official confirmation of his abduction.
In a press briefing following the successful rescue operation, IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated: "Alkadi underwent an initial debriefing in the field. However, we are constrained in what we can disclose about the specifics of the rescue operation, both to safeguard our remaining hostages and to protect the operational security of our forces."
