An Israeli hostage was rescued alive by IDF troops this morning from a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, the army announced.The freed hostage is Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, 52, from a Bedouin community near the southern city of Rahat, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in the nearby community of Mivtahim.
The operation was led by the IDF Southern Command, the Shin Bet security agency and the army’s 162nd Division. The man is reportedly in good health.
Netanyahu speaks with freed Bedouin hostage, ’emotional’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by phone with freed hostage Farhan al-Qadi: “The entire nation of Israel is thrilled by his rescue,” the prime minister’s office said. The prime minister said he would “continue to do everything possible to bring all the hostages home.”
IDF: “Hostage saved in Gaza thanks to precise information”
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said the operation to rescue hostage Farhan al-Qadi was “courageous and complex” and based on accurate intelligence. “This morning, Shayetet 13 troops, the Yahalom unit and the Shin Bet rescued Farhan alive from a tunnel in southern Gaza,” he told a news conference. “The troops arrived in the area thanks to precise information,” Hagari said, adding that he could not reveal further details about the operation for the safety of the hostages, who are still being held by Hamas. According to Haaretz, Farhan managed to escape from his captors before being rescued by the Israeli army. The soldiers tried to determine whether he was being held with other hostages. The IDF chief of staff approved the continuation of the operation in the area.