Israel says it saved a hostage in Gaza
The rescue of a captive, the eighth bedouin, to be released by the military, and the return of his hostages: Israel’s response to Israel
The release of an Israeli captive held by Hamas in Gaza received a lot of praise in Israel. It did little to appease the angry Israelis over the Prime Minister Netanyahu’s opposition to a cease-fire deal that would bring the remaining hostages home.
There was not immediately clear what the rescue was about. A large military operation is under way, according to the Israeli military. According to The Times, top Israeli officials told the newspaper that when the kibbutz employee was captured by Hamas, they went to the tunnels in order to find him. He was the eighth hostage to be freed by the military.
One of the eight Arab Bedouins who were kidnapped in October was Alkadi. He was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen, one of several farming communities that came under attack. He has two wives and 11 children.
As Alkadi’s family waited to see him in the hospital, one of his brothers held Alkadi’s infant son, who was born while he was in captivity and had not yet met his father, the brother said.
Faez, a family member who spoke to Channel 12 said they were so excited to hug him and see him and that they were all with him. Families can experience happiness if every hostage comes home.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made a statement saying that Israel is “committed to taking advantage of every chance to return the hostages” after the rescue operation.
Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Alkadi by phone after arriving at the hospital. He said that Israel would rely on rescues and negotiations to bring the hostages home.
Local health officials do not say how many were militant, but over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel. It has displaced 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people from their homes and caused heavy destruction across the besieged territory.
Israeli airstrikes continued on Tuesday across the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian officials said at least 18 people, including eight children, were killed in the attacks.
With the latest rescue, 108 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, including 13 whose deaths have been confirmed, according to Haaretz. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum says that the rest cannot be released by military operations. “A deal is the only way to secure the return of the remaining 108 hostages — the living for rehabilitation and the murdered for proper burial,” it said in a statement.
Mazen Abu Siam, a close family friend waiting at the hospital, said the family was overjoyed to hear the news, but they were still praying for a cease-fire.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar have spent months trying to negotiate an agreement in which the remaining hostages would be freed in exchange for a lasting cease-fire. There has been no sign of a breakthrough in those talks this week.
Netanyahu’s insistence on a decisive victory has placed him at odds not only with the hostages’ families but also with the Israeli military, which questions whether a total victory over Hamas is feasible and is concerned about a potential clash with Hezbollah. Many polls show that majority of Israelis support a cease-fire in exchange for hostages.
Hamas wants to trade the hostages for a cease-fire, the removal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the release of many Palestinian prisoners.
A deal seemed tantalizingly close at the end of May, when President Biden reported progress toward a phased cease-fire that would lead to the liberation of all remaining hostages and end the grueling fight that has taken more than 40,000 Palestinian lives. The obstacles that Netanyahu and Sinwar have put in the way of an agreement include Netanyahu demanding that Hamas be destroyed and Sinwar saying that he would accept only a permanent end to hostilities. The best chance for a deal may be offered by Washington, according to Antony Blinken, Secretary of State. The last round of talks ended in Cairo on Sunday without one.
As he thanked those who helped him, Al-Qadi didn’t join the debate. But in a meeting with the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, al-Qadi urged the government “to do everything to bring people home.”
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel is “committed to taking advantage of every chance to return the hostages” after the rescue operation. He said that Israel would rely on rescues and negotiations to bring the hostages home. Israeli airstrikes continued on Tuesday across the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian officials said at least 18 people were killed in the attacks.