PHOTOS: IDF Soldiers Rescue Arab Muslim Israeli Hostage from Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released photographs Tuesday of its rescue of hostage Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, 52, from a Hamas tunnel in Gaza.

As Breitbart News reported:

Israel announced Tuesday that it had rescued a Bedouin Israeli Arab Muslim hostage, Qaid Farhan al-Qadi, 52, from a Hamas tunnel in Gaza in a special operation by Israel’s Shayetet 13, the Israeli equivalent of the U.S. Navy SEALs.

…

Hamas killed dozens of Israeli Arabs and Muslims, alienating these communities from the Palestinian cause.

“Each of our … remaining hostages are dear to us, no matter what their religion. That is what Israel is all about,” [Israeli government spokesman David] Mencer said. “Yes, we are of course a home for the Jewish people. But our Declaration [of Independence] … makes clear … [we are] always living in peace with the people that live here.”

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Army Radio reported that the rescue represented the first successful hostage rescue from inside a Hamas tunnel. He was not found in the tunnel after escaping, but rather had been held within the tunnel for an unknown period of time.

The IDF released photographs of al-Qadi being greeted by soldiers and escorted to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba.

 

Israeli media released footage of al-Qadi’s family rushing to greet him at the hospital:

Other images circulated on social media:

There are still 108 hostages remaining in Gaza, of whom at least half are thought to be alive. The Biden administration has emphasized negotiating a deal to release them, which would also involve some Israeli troop withdrawals from Gaza and the release of convicted Palestinian terrorists.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.