Israeli Special Forces executed a complex rescue operation, successfully retrieving an Israeli hostage from a tunnel in southern Gaza, according to military reports. This comes as the ongoing conflict enters its 11th month with no signs of resolution.
The hostage, 52-year-old Kaid Farhan al-Kadi, a Bedouin, was abducted by the Palestinian group Hamas during the assault on October 7. The military announced on Tuesday that al-Kadi is now in stable medical condition and has been transferred to a hospital for monitoring.
Al-Kadi, who resides in Rahat, a predominantly Arab city, was taken captive while working as a security guard at a warehouse in southern Israel. Israeli authorities reported that more than 1,100 individuals, mainly civilians, lost their lives during the initial attack.
Since the October 7 assault, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have claimed over 40,000 Palestinian lives and displaced 90% of the region’s 2.3 million residents, leaving many reliant on humanitarian assistance. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated, “We are committed to seizing every opportunity to bring the hostages home.” Hamas currently holds approximately 110 hostages, with about one-third believed to be deceased. Most of the released hostages were exchanged for Palestinian prisoners during a ceasefire in November of the previous year.
In June, Israeli forces killed at least 274 Palestinians and injured nearly 700 during a rescue operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, aimed at freeing four hostages. Hamas claims that several hostages have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and failed rescue attempts.
Negotiations involving Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been ongoing for months, striving to reach an agreement for the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire. These discussions are continuing in Egypt this week, though no breakthroughs have been reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced severe criticism from hostage families and a substantial portion of the Israeli public for not securing an agreement with Hamas to return the hostages. Hamas is seeking to negotiate the release of the hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the release of a significant number of Palestinian prisoners.
Al Jazeera reporter Imran Khan reported that the rescue operation took place in Rafah, a border town near Egypt. Khan emphasized that Israel seeks control over this crossing point, which could strengthen their arguments for increasing their presence in Rafah. He noted that only seven or eight hostages have been rescued during Israeli military operations, while 105 hostages were released in November as part of ceasefire negotiations. Khan concluded that a negotiated ceasefire is the only way forward, but expressed concern that Netanyahu and his coalition are stalling negotiations while discussing the potential reoccupation of Gaza, raising alarms for both Hamas and the international community.