A Bedouin Arab man rescued in Gaza is calling for urgent negotiations between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of all remaining hostages, shedding light on his harrowing experience in captivity.
Kaid Farhan Elkadi, 52, was rescued during a complex military operation in southern Gaza. Upon his return to his village in southern Israel, he expressed that his joy is overshadowed by the plight of detainees on both sides of the conflict.
Elkadi was abducted by Hamas during the October 7 attacks on Israel, becoming the eighth hostage rescued by Israeli forces since the onset of the war in Gaza. After being discharged from the hospital, he returned home to Karkur in the Negev desert, where he urged for the release of all hostages, whether Arab or Jewish. “They all have families waiting for them,” he stated, emphasizing the universal desire for joy and reunion.
During his recovery, Elkadi recounted the difficult and cruel conditions he faced while in captivity. A former mayor revealed that he had been kept in darkness for eight months and feared for his eyesight during his detention. Elkadi disclosed that he lost a fellow hostage who died by his side, intensifying the sorrow of his experience.
The Israeli military confirmed that Elkadi was located in an underground tunnel and cautioned that further details of the rescue are sensitive due to ongoing security concerns. His cousin reported that Elkadi was not treated differently despite his religious background, only allowed to pray but otherwise cut off from communication and living in constant fear of military bombardment.
As Israel continues its campaign against Hamas following the devastating October 7 attack, which resulted in significant casualties and hostages taken, the humanitarian crisis deepens. Efforts led by U.S., Egyptian, and Qatari mediators to establish a ceasefire and facilitate the release of hostages remain ongoing, yet substantial obstacles persist.
Tragically, among the remaining hostages are two other Bedouin Arabs, Yousef Zyadna and his son, while the body of a third, Mhamad el-Atrash, is still in Hamas custody.
