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.
-
July 12 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include generational ennui, tariffs on Canada, and a conspiracy rabbit hole
-
5 unusually elusive cartoons about the Epstein files
Cartoons Artists take on Pam Bondi's vanishing desk, the Mar-a-Lago bathrooms, and more
-
Lemon and courgette carbonara recipe
The Week Recommends Zingy and fresh, this pasta is a summer treat
-
'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
-
Court allows National Guard in LA as Dodgers repel feds
Speed Read The team said they 'denied entry' to ICE agents seeking to enter their stadium
-
ICE arrests NYC comptroller at courthouse
Speed Read Brad Lander was held for about four hours before being released
-
Trump ramps up Iran threats, demands 'surrender'
Speed Read Trump met with his top aides in the Situation Room on Tuesday
-
ABA sues Trump over 'law firm intimidation policy'
Speed Read Trump has 'used the vast powers of the executive branch to coerce lawyers,' the lawsuit said
-
Judge orders Trump's NIH grant cuts reversed
Speed Read Trump had attempted to slash more than $1 billion in research grants