CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday rescued a 52-year-old hostage from a tunnel in Southern Gaza 326 days after he was kidnapped by Hamas militants. The hostage, identified as Farhan al-Qadi, is said to be healthy and in a stable medical condition.
The rescue occurred when Israeli special forces were raiding the network of tunnels in Gaza after receiving a tip-off. Al-Qadi was reportedly alone, with no sight of other hostages of Hamas militants. Though Al-Qadi is the eighth hostage to be rescued alive in Gaza by the Israeli military, he is the first one to be saved from inside the Hamas’s tunnel network underneath Gaza, the IDF told CNN.
Though the IDF did not publish details regarding the hostage rescue, citing security, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari described the operation as “brave and complex” and based on precise intelligence.
Israeli media reported that either Hamas guards fled the area after getting a hint of an Israeli operation or al-Qadi managed to escape the captors but remained inside the tunnel. However, Al-Qadi’s brother Abu Mohammad told CNN that his captors had fled when they heard Israeli troops approaching the tunnels, saying his brother had heard Hebrew voices and shouted out to communicate his whereabouts.
