Israeli military says Gaza hostage rescued in complex operation

The Israeli military says it has rescued a Bedouin Arab hostage who was kidnapped by Hamas gunmen during the 7 October attack on Israel and taken back to Gaza.

Kaid Farhan Elkadi, 52, was rescued in a “complex operation in the southern Gaza Strip”, according to a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

No further details could be published “due to considerations of the safety of our hostages, the security of our forces, and national security”, it said.

Mr Elkadi is in a stable condition and has been transferred to a hospital for medical checks.

The father of 11 is from a Bedouin village in the Rahat area, in the Negev desert.

He worked for many years as a security guard at Kibbutz Magen, where he was abducted 10 months ago.

Around 108 hostages are believed to still be held by Hamas, about a third of whom are thought to be dead.

Last week, the IDF said it recovered the bodies of six hostages in an overnight operation in Gaza.