The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet domestic security service have successfully executed a daring rescue operation, liberating a Bedouin Arab hostage held captive by Hamas militants since the October 7 attack on Israel.
The hostage, 52-year-old Kaid Farhan Elkadi, was abducted and transported to Gaza during the assault.
According to the BBC, the IDF and Shin Bet conducted the intricate rescue mission in the southern Gaza Strip. However, the military refrained from disclosing further details, citing the safety of hostages, security of forces, and national security as paramount considerations.
Elkadi, now in stable health, has been moved to a hospital for medical examinations. A poignant video captured the emotional reunion between Elkadi and his family at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. Elkadi's rescue marks the eighth successful hostage liberation by Israeli forces since the onset of the Gaza conflict.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, in a post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, lauded the IDF's audacious efforts deep within the Gaza strip. "This operation joins a series of actions taken by the IDF that bring us closer to achieving the goals of this war," Gallant wrote. He further underscored Israel's unwavering commitment to seizing every opportunity to bring the hostages back home.
Elkadi, a father of 11 and a grandfather, hails from a Bedouin village in the Rahat area, nestled in the Negev desert. For many years, he served as a security guard at Kibbutz Magen, situated near the Israel-Gaza border, where he was kidnapped ten months ago.
The hostage situation unfolded amid an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which prompted the Israeli military to launch a campaign in Gaza aimed at dismantling Hamas. The attack resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages. Since then, the Gaza conflict has claimed over 40,430 lives, as reported by the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
The rescue of Elkadi serves as a testament to Israel's commitment to its citizens, even as the conflict in Gaza continues to escalate. It also underscores the ongoing challenges faced by those living near the volatile Israel-Gaza border, where the threat of abduction and violence remains a grim reality.
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