FLASH
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The rescue of the hostage brought a rare moment of joy to Israelis as months of fighting continue, but it also served as another painful reminder of the scores of people still being held captive despite international efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement under which they would be released.
The Israeli military said Qaid Farhan Alkadi was rescued "in a complex operation in the southern Gaza Strip," without giving further details.
The 52-year-old is from Israel's Bedouin Arab minority and worked as a security guard at a packaging factory in Magen, one of several farming communities attacked on October 7. He has two wives and is the father of 11 children.
Israel's Channel 12 television showed footage of Mr. Alkadi's family members running around the hospital where he was taken after receiving the news.
Hamas-led militants kidnapped around 250 people in the October 7 attack, during which around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed.
The ensuing Israeli military response has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials controlled by Hamas, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The fighting has displaced 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents from their homes and wreaked havoc across the besieged territory.
Hamas continues to hold about 110 hostages, nearly a third of whom are believed to be dead. Most of the others were released, exchanged for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, during a ceasefire last November.
Israel has rescued a total of eight hostages, including during two operations that killed many Palestinians. Hamas says several hostages have been killed by Israeli airstrikes and failed rescue attempts. Israeli forces mistakenly killed three Israelis who escaped captivity in December.
The United States, Egypt and Qatar have been trying for months to negotiate a deal under which the remaining hostages would be released in exchange for a lasting ceasefire. Those talks are continuing in Egypt this week, but there are no signs of progress.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced fierce criticism from the families of the hostages and the Israeli public because no deal has yet been reached with Hamas to bring them home.
Hamas hopes to use the hostages to achieve a prolonged ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners, including important militants./ VOA
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