Israeli hostage Farhan al-Qadi was rescued by IDF special forces on Tuesday after more than 10 months in Hamas captivity. Al-Qadi, 52, was found inside a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip by commandos from the Israeli Navy’s Shayetet 13 unit and the elite Yahalom combat engineering unit. The operation was a joint effort led by the IDF’s Southern Command, the Shin Bet security agency, and the IDF’s 162nd Division.
The military has withheld additional details due to security concerns. Al-Qadi, who hails from a Bedouin community near Rahat, was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen when he was abducted by Hamas terrorists on October 7. He has two wives and 11 children.
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari praised the operation as “brave and complex,” highlighting the precision of the intelligence that led to the rescue. Contrary to some reports, Al-Qadi did not escape on his own but was rescued from the tunnel by Israeli forces. No other hostages or Hamas militants were found with him, and it’s believed his captors fled the area before the rescue.
This operation is the fourth successful hostage rescue since October 7, but the first to take place underground. Al-Qadi was flown to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba for further medical evaluation, where he reunited with his family. The Hostage Families Forum welcomed the rescue but emphasized the need for a negotiated deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.
Following the rescue, 104 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 remain in captivity, including the bodies of 34 confirmed dead. The IDF has also recovered the bodies of 30 hostages, including three who were accidentally killed during previous rescue operations.
Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas has led to significant casualties on both sides, with over 40,000 people in Gaza reported dead or presumed dead according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. However, these figures cannot be independently verified. Israel estimates that it has killed around 17,000 combatants and 1,000 terrorists since the conflict began. Israel has also lost 340 soldiers during the ground offensive in Gaza and border operations.
