The Rescue of the Bedouin-Major Hostage Alkadi, a Gazan Farmer’s Daughter

The rescue brought a rare moment of joy 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.

The details of the rescue were not immediately clear. The Israeli military spoke of a “complex military operation.” The Times reported that senior Israeli officials said that when they raided Hamas tunnels, they found a Bedouin man who was working at a kibbutz. In either case, he was the eighth hostage to be freed by the military.

Alkadi was a member of the Arab Bedouin minority in Israel. He worked as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, one of several farming communities that came under attack. There are 11 children that he is the father of.

One of Alkadi’s brothers held his baby son, who was not yet known to his father, as Alkadi’s family waited to see him in the hospital.

The family member who gave his name as Faez said that they were excited to hug him and tell him they were with him. “I want every hostage to come back so the families can feel this happiness.”

The Israeli military recovered the bodies of six hostages in southern Gaza last week and was working to gather more intel for future rescues. He said that we have to bring everyone back through rescue operations.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Alkadi by phone soon after he arrived at the hospital. Rescue operations as well as negotiations would bring the hostages back to Israel.

Local health officials do not say how many were extremists, but they say over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed. It has displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people from their homes and caused heavy destruction across the besieged territory.

Israeli airstrikes continued on Tuesday across the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian officials said at least 18 people, including eight children, were killed in the attacks.

Scores of Palestinians died during two previous Israeli operations to free hostages. Hamas says that hostages have been killed in Israeli strikes. Israeli troops mistakenly killed three Israelis who escaped captivity in December.

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Mazen Abu Siam, a close family friend waiting at the hospital, said the family was overjoyed to hear the news, but they were still praying for a cease-fire.

Over the course of the last few months, the US, Egypt, and Qatar have been talking about a cease-fire in exchange for freeing the remaining hostages. There has been no breakthrough this week in the talks in Egypt.

Netanyahu has put himself at odds with the hostages’ families and with the Israeli military, who are worried about a potential clash with Hezbollah, as well as with the Israeli military, who are questioning whether a complete victory over Hamas is feasible. More broadly, polls have shown that a majority of Israelis support a cease-fire in exchange for the hostages.

A large number of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile jihadis, would be released in exchange for a long-term cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

A deal seemed tantalizingly close at the end of May, when President Biden reported progress toward a phased cease-fire that would lead to the liberation of all remaining hostages and end the grueling fight that has taken more than 40,000 Palestinian lives. Netanyahu insisted on destruction of Hamas and Sinwar said he would accept only a permanent end to hostilities, which has caused some obstacles in the way of an agreement. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters last week that the most likely chance for a deal is a Bridging proposal offered by Washington. The last round of talks ended in Cairo on Sunday without one.

Al-Qadi did not join the debate as he profusely thanked those responsible for his liberation. During the meeting with the Israeli president, al-Qadi urged the government to do everything they could to bring people home.