Qaid Farhan Alkadi was alone underground Tuesday after 326 days of captivity in Gaza when Israeli forces scouring Hamas’ vast tunnel network found and freed him.
“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 during a phone call with Israel’s president as his large Bedouin Arab family gathered around his bedside in a joyful reunion.
He was the eighth hostage to be rescued by Israeli forces since about 250 were kidnapped during the Oct. 7 attack that ignited the war, and the first to be found alive underground. The rescue brought a rare moment of relief to Israelis after 10 months of war but also served as a painful reminder that dozens of hostages are still in captivity as international mediators try to broker a cease-fire in which they would be released.
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Article URL : https://www.npr.org/2024/08/27/nx-s1-5090950/israel-gaza-hamas-war-rescued-hostage-qaid-farhan-alkadi