Israeli forces rescue hostage from underground tunnel in Gaza

JERUSALEM - The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that its forces had rescued an Israeli hostage from an underground tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip when combing the area.

Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, was found alone in a tunnel, without any guards or other hostages, said the military in a statement. Being held by Hamas militants since Oct 7, 2023, Alkadi is the eighth hostage freed through a military operation and the first Israeli Arab hostage to be rescued alive. He is also the first hostage rescued from the underground.

The military added that Alkadi came from Karkur, a Bedouin village south of Rahat city in southern Israel, and was kidnapped from his workplace, a packing house in Magen, during Hamas' attack on the kibbutz.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that military troops, along with agents from the Shin Bet security agency, scanned the tunnel in recent days to search for hostages, Hamas militants, and explosive devices, while noting that they had no specific information about Alkadi's whereabouts.

According to state-owned Kan TV news, Alkadi heard the soldiers and shouted for help, then his guards fled the area. The man told his relatives that he survived mainly on small amounts of bread. His family reported that Alkadi lost approximately 20 kilograms during his captivity.

Shlomi Kadosh, the hospital director, stated that Alkadi had undergone a medical examination and was in stable condition.

In a press briefing, IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari described the rescue as "a complex mission," saying that "commandos rescued Alkadi from an underground tunnel upon accurate intelligence."

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the government's commitment to bringing all hostages home. "We are doing this in two main ways: negotiations and rescue operations," Netanyahu said. He also underscored the necessity of maintaining Israel's military presence in Gaza.

A government official confirmed to Xinhua that an Israeli delegation is set to depart on Wednesday to continue indirect talks in Doha over a potential deal that includes a ceasefire and the exchange of hostages and prisoners between the two warring sides.

Approximately 250 hostages were taken during the Oct 7 Hamas assault, with 108 still held by Hamas, and many of them are believed dead, official Israeli figures indicated.