Upon leaving the hospital on Wednesday after his rescue from Hamas captivity in the Gaza Strip, Qaid Farhan Alkadi expressed his desire to see his mother and daughters, adding, “Whether you’re Arab or Jewish, everyone has a family waiting for them. They all want to celebrate. I hope and pray this will end.”
“I wouldn’t wish my experience on anyone,” said Alkadi, who spent nearly 11 months in captivity. “I even told the prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] to put an end to this. It’s hard for everyone, Jewish and Arab alike.”
The Alkadi family traveled from Soroka Medical Center in a jubilant convoy to their village near Rahat on Wednesday. A specially erected tent welcomed him home with an outpouring of joy and emotion. Villagers brought food for the homecoming feast, which began with a communal prayer of thanksgiving. As he arrived, Alkadi declared, “I feel completely fine. Do everything possible to bring back the hostages.”
As Alkadi departed the hospital, Soroka Director Shlomi Kodesh remarked, “Since Oct. 7, Soroka and the entire healthcare system have exemplified unity, with everyone collaborating towards a common goal—saving lives.
“Farhan endured the longest captivity among the released hostages, yet he arrived on his own feet in stable condition. It’s a profound honor for me and the entire Soroka staff to witness these joyous moments and care for those returning. We continue to pray and hope for everyone’s safe return.”
Alkadi, a 52-year-old father of 11, resided with his family in a village south of Rahat. For years, he worked as a security guard at the Ago packing house near Moshav Yesha. On Oct. 7, his family’s attempts to reach him by phone were unsuccessful. It took several weeks before they received official confirmation of his abduction.
Shortly after Alkadi’s arrival at Soroka Hospital, his brother Hatem reported, “He survived mainly on bread, and not every day. Despite this, he’s in good health and doing well overall. He was worried about the rest of the family. He’s seen some of his brothers and asked about our mother. I assured him that she’s fine and everything is okay.”
Ata Abu Medigm, the former mayor of Rahat, told Ynet that Alkadi was held in near total darkness for months: “He told about a very brutal captivity, he hardly saw the sun for eight months. He would check if his eyes were functioning. He said that one of the abductees was with him for two months and died next to him.”
Dr. Mazen Abu Siam, a longtime friend and veterinarian, in a conversation with the Times called Hamas “devils” and said that Alkadi’s family had been in terrible anxiety for 10 months.
Wednesday marked Alkadi’s first meeting with his ailing 90-year-old mother since his capture.
Alkadi’s brother Juma’a told CNN that “he was dead and is now brought back to life,” and that “it was all tears. Tears of joy. What matters is that we saw him.”
Juma’a said that Alkadi was shot in the leg during the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, and the wound was poorly treated during captivity. Alkadi had been operated on without anesthesia, “As one does with animals.”
Alkadi is the first Israeli Arab and eighth Israeli to be rescued alive from Gaza by Israeli forces. He is also the first captive to be reclaimed from the terror group’s vast tunnel network beneath Gaza.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
