Israeli army claims to rescue hostage from Gaza Strip
A view of Israeli soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, January 14, 2024. (Reuters Photo)
The Israeli army on Tuesday claimed to have rescued an Israeli captive held in the Gaza Strip since last Oct. 7.
A military statement said the army carried out a joint “complex operation” with the Shin Bet domestic security service to free the hostage from the southern Gaza Strip.
It identified him as Farhan al-Qadi, 52, from a Bedouin community near the southern city of Rahat, saying his health condition was good, but was taken to the hospital for a check-up.
According to Israeli Channel 14, al-Qadi was found by the army alone inside an underground tunnel in Rafah in southern Gaza.
According to Israeli figures, at least 108 Israelis remain held in Gaza, including at least 36 dead.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
The onslaught has resulted in nearly 40,500 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,600 injuries, according to local health authorities.
An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.
