By Deutsche Welle
Aug 27, 2024, 6:20 PM EDT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the rescue of hostage Kaid Farhan al Qadi in southern Gaza and said the Israeli army would continue to act to bring back the rest of the people held hostage by the Islamist group Hamas – considered a terrorist group by the European Union – in the Palestinian enclave.
“We are working tirelessly to bring back all the abductees. We do this in two ways: through negotiations and through release operations,” the Prime Minister said.
“Both ways require our military presence on the ground and relentless pressure on Hamas. We will continue to act in this way until we bring them all back home,” he added.
The Israeli army rescued the hostage, a 52-year-old Bedouin, in the southern Gaza Strip, where he had been held by Hamas since the attack on October 7 last year.
After the rescue, Netanyahu held a call with al-Qadi and told him that the entire Israeli people are thrilled with his release, according to a statement from his office.
Rescued from an underground tunnel in Rafah
Chief military spokesman Daniel Hagari said Israeli special forces commandos rescued al-Qadi from an underground tunnel following accurate intelligence reports, but he could not provide many details.
According to Palestinian sources, the man was rescued in the town of Rafah in southern Gaza, where Israeli forces have been operating on the ground since early May.
The Israeli media Haaretz He said the man managed to escape from captivity in one of Hamas’ tunnels before being rescued by soldiers. He was then flown by helicopter to an Israeli medical center.
“We are happy to see him alive”
“He is in good condition, he is undergoing tests,” said his brother, Hathem Alkadi. “We are happy to see him, and to see him alive. He asked about his family, if his children and his mother were okay,” he added.
The Hostage Families Forum, the main platform representing the relatives of those kidnapped on October 7, welcomed the rescue.
There are still 108 hostages
But he made clear that the remaining hostages in Gaza – 108, according to Israeli figures – need a ceasefire agreement to be able to leave.
“We urgently call on the international community to maintain pressure on Hamas to accept the proposed agreement,” the group said.
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