The journey to rescue Israeli hostages after 326 days of captivity in Gaza

“Suddenly, I heard someone speaking Hebrew outside the door, I couldn't believe it, I couldn't believe it,” Alkadi, 52, recounted from an Israeli hospital in a phone call with the Israeli president as his family gathered around his hospital bed in a joyous reunion.

He was the eighth hostage rescued by Israeli forces since about 250 people were kidnapped in a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, and the first to be found alive underground.

Qaid Farhan Alkadi and the commander of the 162nd Division, Brigadier General Itzik Cohen, talk at the moment of their rescue. Photo: Israel Army

The rescue brought a rare moment of relief to Israelis after 10 months of war, but also a painful reminder that dozens of hostages remain in captivity, with negotiations for their release still at a standstill.

Alkadi expressed gratitude in a call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and urged his country's leaders to do everything possible to free the dozens still held captive.

Alkadi was found in a tunnel south of Gaza where hostages are suspected of being held with militants and explosives. He had been held in several locations during his captivity, according to Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that the rescue operation was part of a "daring and courageous operation" carried out by the army deep inside the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said it had learned “lessons” from previous operations while rescuing Alkadi. Earlier in the war, Israeli troops accidentally shot dead three hostages inside Gaza, thinking they were militants.

Alkadi was one of eight members of Israel's Bedouin Arab minority abducted on October 7. He was working as a security guard at a packaging factory in Kibbutz Magen when he was taken. He is married to two women and the father of 11 children.

Qaid Farhan Alkadi at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel on August 27, 2024. Photo: Government of Israel Press Office

The IDF has not said much about its plans to rescue Kaid Farhan Elkadi, but a recent operation resulted in the deaths of dozens of Palestinians. Israel believes there are still 108 hostages in Gaza, and about a third of them are dead.

Video released by the Israeli military shows Alkadi minutes after his rescue. Unshaven and wearing a white tank top, he is seen sitting and smiling with soldiers before boarding a helicopter to hospital. He looked emaciated but officials described his condition as stable.

A large number of his family members gathered at the hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba to welcome him home. One of his brothers held Alkadi's newborn son, who was born while he was in captivity and has not yet met his father, according to the brother.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spoke to Alkadi by phone. He said Israel would rely on rescue operations and negotiations to bring the remaining hostages home. Alkadi reminded Netanyahu that “there are others waiting.”

Hamas said several hostages had been killed in Israeli airstrikes. Israeli forces accidentally killed three Israeli hostages who escaped from captivity in December. Last week, Israeli forces recovered the bodies of six hostages in southern Gaza.

Huy Hoang (according to AP, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/hanh-trinh-con-tin-israel-duoc-giai-cuu-sau-326-ngay-bi-giam-cam-o-gaza-post309575.html