The Israeli military announced on Tuesday that they successfully rescued an Arab citizen of Israel who was among the many individuals abducted during Hamas' attack on October 7. The rescued individual, identified as Qaid Farhan Alkadi, aged 52, was saved in a complex operation carried out in the southern Gaza Strip.
During the October 7 attack orchestrated by Hamas-led militants, approximately 250 people were abducted, resulting in the tragic deaths of around 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians. In response, Israel launched a retaliatory offensive that has led to the deaths of over 40,000 Palestinians, as reported by local health officials. The offensive has also caused the displacement of 90% of Gaza's population, totaling 2.3 million people, from their homes and inflicted significant damage across the besieged territory.
Currently, Hamas is still holding approximately 110 hostages, with an estimated one-third believed to have lost their lives. The majority of the remaining hostages were released in previous exchanges for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a cease-fire agreement last November. Israel has successfully rescued a total of eight hostages through various operations, some of which resulted in casualties among Palestinian individuals.
Hamas has alleged that several hostages were killed during Israeli airstrikes and failed rescue attempts. Efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages have been ongoing, with the United States, Egypt, and Qatar engaging in negotiations to broker a deal that would lead to a lasting cease-fire and the freedom of the captives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced significant criticism from hostage families and a portion of the Israeli public for the delay in reaching an agreement with Hamas to secure the return of the abducted individuals.
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