IDF bodycam footage shows moment hostage was rescued from Gaza tunnel after 326 days in Hamas captivity
BODYCAM footage has captured the moment an Israeli hostage was heroically rescued from Gaza tunnels after spending 326 days in Hamas captivity.
Qaid Farhan al-Qadi was located by the rescue teams headed by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) who then launched a “complex” rescue mission to set him free.
The dad-of-11 was among the more than 250 civilians taken hostage by Hamas terrorists.
Dramatic footage released by the IDF shows the moments after he was found inside Gaza.
The clip shows crack IDF soldiers with assault rifles bundling al-Qadi into a military chopper.
He was seen wearing a specialised helmet and a body vest as the helicopter took off to Israel.
A beaming al-Qadi was then seen giving a thumbs-up to the IDF soldiers after spending almost a year in Hamas captivity.
Al-Qadi, who comes from the southern Israeli village of Rahat, is said to have “miraculously” escaped from the tunnels after he reportedly gave Hamas savages the slip.
However, it remains unclear exactly how he broke free from the heavily armed Hamas militia guarding him.
And how far he managed to flee before being rescued by the IDF is also unknown.
He may be the first person to escape Hamas captivity since the horrors of October 7.
Al-Qadi was working as a guard at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen when he was abducted by Hamas savages who raided the Israeli territory before butchering innocent people.
He was found by commandos from the Israeli Navy’s elite Shayetet 13 unit in an operation led by the Shin Bet security agency and the Israeli Defence Force’s 162nd Division.
IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said: “This morning, Shayetet 13 troops, the Yahalom unit, and the Shin Bet rescued Farhan alive from a tunnel in southern Gaza.
“The troops reached the area thanks to precise intelligence.”
Professor Shlomi Codish, the director of the Soroka Medical Center where al-Qadi is now recovering, told reporters arrived today at around 3:30pm for routine checks.
He was then allowed to see his family who had travelled to Beersheba to welcome him home.
Codish said the reunion was full of “emotional moments”.
Israel’s Hostage Families Forum told The Sun today: “It’s astonishing news – and the first good news to come out of Gaza for a long time.
“We welcome his rescue but need to stress that a deal is necessary to secure the release of the remaining hostages.”
“It’s still unclear exactly how he got out – whether he escaped or was rescued – but we’re delighted for him and his family.
“Military operations alone cannot free the remaining hostages who have suffered abuse and terror. A negotiated deal is the only way forward.”
Al-Qadi’s escape leaves 104 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7 in Gaza, including the bodies of 34 confirmed dead by the IDF.
In June, IDF’s largest rescue operation freed four Israeli hostages from eight months of Hamas’ captivity.
Noa Agramani, 25, along with Almog Meir 21, Andrey Kozlov 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 40 were dramatically saved by the Israeli forces
The October 7 massacre
ON October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists stormed the border between Gaza and Israel, slaughtering over 1,200 Israelis and kidnapping hundreds more.
One of the worst attacks saw gunmen descend on paragliders into a desert festival near Kibbutz Re’im and rained bullets down on innocent revellers.
At least 364 were killed at the Nova trance party – an event designed as a celebration of “peace and love” and now etched forever in the collective psyche of Israel.
In the 10 months since, Israel has almost completely destroyed the strip in an effort to eradicate the group and bring home its trapped people.
Israel has hit back with attacks which have eliminated several high profile Hamas militants but also killed 40,000 people in Gaza, according to the region’s Hamas-run health ministry.
Amid international cries for peace, Israeli PM Netanyahu has vowed not to stop until Hamas is destroyed.
It comes as the world continues to hope for a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
The US, Egypt and Qatar are trying to come to terms with Hamas to figure out an end to the fighting.
They hope this will allow all the remaining hostages to be freed and the bodies of those who have died to be recovered.