Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a former hostage who was rescued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) on Tuesday, shared details of his time in Hamas captivity.
Alkadi, who was shot in the leg by Hamas terrorists during their initial attack, described how he was subjected to a painful surgery to remove the bullet with minimal anesthesia while in captivity. He also shared that food was scarce, and conditions were dire. Initially, he was held with other hostages in an apartment. Later, he was moved to a tunnel where he was kept in complete darkness, unable to distinguish between day and night.
IDF publishes new body camera footage from the moments that the IDF rescued Qaid Farhan Alkadi.https://t.co/lpRcxvKprE pic.twitter.com/4j1R8rvD78
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) August 27, 2024
Qaid Farhan Alkadi described witnessing the death of 86-year-old Aryeh Zalmanovich, who had been kidnapped from his home in Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas assault on October 7. Zalmanovich, who had been held captive alongside Alkadi, died approximately five weeks into his captivity. Alkadi recalled how the terrorists filmed other hostages, including the moments leading up to and following Zalmanovich’s death, though these recordings were never released.
Following his rescue, Alkadi reached out to Boaz Zalmanovich, Aryeh’s son, to recount his father’s final days. According to Boaz, his father and Alkadi had developed a bond during their captivity.
Alkadi’s rescue occurred amidst extensive IDF bombing in Gaza. In the final days of his captivity, his captors abandoned him, leaving a small piece of bread before fleeing. Israeli soldiers eventually discovered Alkadi in a tunnel after he called out to them in Hebrew.
Kibbutz Nir Oz issued a statement following the revelations, urging the Israeli government to act swiftly to secure the release of the remaining hostages. The urgency of the situation was echoed by Boaz Zalmanovich, who emphasized that time is running out for those still in captivity.
As of now, it is believed that 103 of the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 remain in Gaza, with the fates of many still uncertain.
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