Israel rescues unguarded hostage in Gaza tunnel
Qaid Farhan Alkadi, 52, was rescued by Israeli forces after 326 days of captivity


What happened
Israeli naval commandos exploring Hamas' tunnel network under Gaza on Tuesday found and rescued one of the Israelis taken hostage in the Oct. 7 terrorist attack. Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a 52-year-old Bedouin Arab, was discovered alone and without Hamas guards, Israeli officials said.
Who said what
"Suddenly, I heard someone speaking Hebrew outside the door, I couldn't believe it," Alkadi told Israeli President Issac Herzog from the hospital. "Work 24 hours, don't sleep until" the other hostages are home. Israel says just over 100 hostages remain in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead. Alkadi is the eighth one rescued alive. Israel accidentally killed three hostages in December, mistaking them for Hamas militants.
Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari described Alkadi's rescue as part of a "complex and brave" operation, based on "precise intelligence." But two senior Israeli officials told The New York Times that commandos searching the tunnel were surprised to stumble upon Alkadi. They initially thought he was a "terrorist or somebody else," Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi, a former deputy commander of Israel's Gaza division, said to The Washington Post. "Luckily they didn't shoot him."
What next?
Israeli security officials and hostage families "say a cease-fire deal is needed to free most of those who are still being held and that time is running out," The Wall Street Journal said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
August 2 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include a tariff self-own, rough times at the Trump golf course, and more
-
5 inexcusably hilarious cartoons about Ghislaine Maxwell angling for a pardon
Cartoons Artists take on the circle of life, Ghislaine's Island, and more
-
Ozzy Osbourne obituary: heavy metal wildman and lovable reality TV dad
In the Spotlight For Osbourne, metal was 'not the music of hell but rather the music of Earth, not a fantasy but a survival guide'
-
Cracks appear in MAGA's pro-Israel front
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the world watches a humanitarian crisis unfold across Gaza, some of Israel's most staunchly conservative defenders have begun speaking out against its actions in the occupied territories
-
Trump contradicts Israel, says 'starvation' in Gaza
Speed Read The president suggests Israel could be doing more to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians
-
The 'secret' to 'avoiding a monthly car payment'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Can Gaza aid drops work?
Today's Big Question UN's Palestinian refugee agency calls plan a 'distraction and smokescreen' as pressure mounts on Israel to agree ceasefire and fully open land crossings
-
'Lowering the voting age is a call to trust young people with democracy'
instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
'Trump's authoritarian manipulation of language'
Instant Opinion Vienna has become a 'convenient target for populists' | Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Bibi's back: what will Netanyahu do next?
Today's Big Question Riding high after a series of military victories, Israel's PM could push for peace in Gaza – or secure his own position with snap election