The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has released a gripping video showcasing the dramatic rescue of Qaid Farhan Alkadi, an Israeli hostage who was freed from a tunnel in southern Gaza. Alkadi was among the many individuals abducted during Hamas’ attack on October 7 last year.
The footage, shared on X, captures the emotional moment when Alkadi shakes hands with IDF Brigadier General Itzhik Cohen as he is rescued by Israeli forces. In the video, Alkadi is seen smiling broadly and expressing heartfelt gratitude to Cohen and his team.
“WATCH the first moments of rescued hostage Qaid Farhan Alkadi back on Israeli soil on his way to reunite with his family after 326 days in Hamas captivity,” the IDF wrote in a post shared on Tuesday.
Additional footage from the rescue operation shows Alkadi giving a thumbs-up to the soldiers as they proceed towards a military helicopter. The final segment captures him smiling as he is transported to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba, Israel.
Alkadi, a member of the Bedouin community and a resident of Rahat, a predominantly Arab town in southern Israel, was among eight members of Israel’s Arab Bedouin minority abducted by Hamas militants. At the time of his abduction, he was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, one of several farming communities targeted in the attack. Alkadi is a father of 11 children and has two wives.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military announced that Alkadi had been rescued in Gaza following a “complex operation,” as the Israel-Hamas conflict, now in its 11th month, shows no signs of abating.
“Kaid AlKadi was rescued… in a complex operation in the southern Gaza Strip,” the military said. “He is in a stable medical condition and is being transferred for medical checks to a hospital.”
This rescue operation highlights the ongoing efforts and challenges faced by the IDF in securing the release of hostages and combating militant threats in the region.
