Hostage Farhan al-Qadi rescued by IDF from Gaza
The IDF rescued Farhan al-Qadi, 52, from Hamas captivity in Gaza today, in the fourth operation of its kind resulting in the safe return of living Israeli hostages.
Al-Qadi is the first living hostage to be rescued from a tunnel, according to reports detailing the operation. He was discovered alone and it is believed that Hamas terrorists had either fled the area or that al-Qadi was able to escape his captors.
“Shayetet 13 troops, the Yahalom unit, and the Shin Bet rescued Farhan alive from a tunnel in southern Gaza”, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a press conference, calling the mission “brave and complex”. He added that “the troops reached the area thanks to precise intelligence”.
“We do everything we can to save hostages. The IDF and the Shin Bet showed courage, determination, and taking initiative in a complex operation”, tweeted IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi.
Al-Qadi was held hostage for 326 days after being abducted from Kibbutz Magen on 7th October 2023, having commuted there for work from his southern Bedouin home city of Rahat.
“It is better than being born again. Thank you so much everyone. We look forward to seeing him in good health”, said al-Qadi’s brother.
Al-Qadi is the father of 11 children, the youngest of whom is only six months old. He also became a grandfather while in captivity.
He is currently being treated at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba and is reportedly in a stable medical condition.
104 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas on 7th October remain in Gaza, including 34 of those confirmed to be deceased by the IDF.
Israel launches pre-emptive strike on Hezbollah
100 Israeli fighter jets simultaneously destroyed thousands of rocket launchers across 270 locations in an anticipatory strike against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon early Sunday morning.
The Iran-backed terror group had planned to target IDF military facilities and strategic sites, together with major Israeli towns including Tel Aviv, at 05:00. Shortly after Israel’s pre-emptive strike, Hezbollah launched an estimated 230 rockets and approximately 20 drones and had reportedly planned to fire hundreds more.
“We are operating in self defence from Hezbollah”, said IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari during the pre-emptive manoeuvre, adding that “we are ready to do everything we need to defend the people of Israel”.
Some 90 percent of missiles were reportedly fired from civilian areas within Lebanon, including from sites near mosques and schools.
Israel said that the attacks caused widespread property damage in Acre and other towns across northern Israel. Flights from Israel’s Ben Gurion airport were briefly suspended during the attacks.
Hezbollah said that 340 Katyusha rockets and drones were launched against Israel, while claiming that only two missile launchers were hit by Israel before the attack. Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the terror group, said that Israel’s pre-emptive strikes targeted “empty valleys” and labelled its assault “Operation Arbaeen Day”, named after a Shiite religious period that coincided with the attack.
The terror group’s barrage followed the killing of its commander, Fuad Shukr, after Hezbollah’s attack on Majdal Shams in July, which killed twelve children and teenagers.
Hezbollah has fired around 6,700 rockets, missiles and explosives at Israeli communities since October 8th.
Former hostage says Hamas tried to force conversion, extort finances
Former hostage Moran Stella, who was released from captivity in Gaza on 29th November 2023, told the Israeli media network N12 that Hamas terrorists tried to push her to convert to Islam and demanded her father pay for her release, threatening to kill her if he refuses.
“My parents experienced trauma no less than I did”, Moran said.
The terrorists interrogated her on the socio-economic position of her father and his relationship with Moran, before she realised that Hamas were in contact with him. Hamas had sent a photo of Moran’s sister, who was not taken captive, to her father, with threats to kill the women “one by one” if money was not received.
Moran is still unsure whether the communication was orchestrated with the objective of extortion or psychological warfare, adding that the torment “does not end in our death or kidnapping, they continue to torture and abuse our families”.
The terrorists told Moran that it “would be better for you to be a Muslim woman”, trying to convert her “almost daily”, once bringing her a head covering and reading her Quranic verses on more than one occasion. They told her that conversion would convince Hamas to “release you sooner”. Moran said her biggest fear was being converted, “sold” and “forcefully” married.
Israeli doctor pledges allegiance to ISIS
An Israeli Arab doctor working at the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba has been indicted after pledging allegiance to ISIS.
34-year-old Muhammad Azzam was detained in July after reading ISIS-affiliated extremist content online since 2014, according to the Israeli Justice Ministry.
Files named “Poison Preparation” and “Explosive Materials” were found on his phone, together with media files of executions, beheadings and mutilated bodies.
Azzam pledged allegiance to Abu Hafs al-Hajri al-Qurashi, the new caliph of ISIS, after 7 October, circulating Hamas’ atrocities and mocking Israeli victims, according to the indictment.
Several ISIS-style terrorist attacks have been thwarted in Israel over this year, with several Palestinian terrorists pledging fealty to the transnational jihadi organisation.
