Hostage rescued by Israel ‘barely saw daylight’

Mr Elkadi was kidnapped by Hamas during the 7 October attack on Israel and is the eighth hostage rescued by Israeli forces since the start of the war in Gaza.

The father of 11 is in a stable condition in hospital, where he is undergoing examinations.

Mr Elkadi told his relatives “about difficult days, a very cruel captivity”, Ata Abu Medigam, ex-mayor of the southern Israeli town of Rahat, told Israel’s Haaretz newspaper.

“He spoke about one of the hostages who was held captive with him for two months and died next to him,” Mr Medigam said.

Mr Elkadi had also started worrying about losing his eyesight, Mr Medigam added.

“He would check his eyes to see if they were still working and functioning – he would put his fingers on his eyes to check his reflexes.”

The Israeli military said forces had found Mr Elkadi in a tunnel “when he was alone”.

In a statement, the military said no further details about the rescue could be published “due to considerations of the safety of our hostages, the security of our forces, and national security”.

But some details have been emerging about Mr Elkadi’s time in captivity.

His cousin, Fadi Abu Sahiban, said Mr Elkadi did not get preferential treatment due to being a Muslim.

“They didn’t give him concessions because he’s a Muslim. He says they let him pray, that’s the only thing they allowed him to do,” he told Haaretz.

Mr Elkadi had no way of communicating with the outside world and was in constant fear of bombs overhead, his cousin said.

He “would hear the shelling of the IDF endlessly, he said his body was shaking”, said Mr Abu Sahiban.

“Every day he was sure was his last day, and not only because of his captors, but also because of the shelling of the army. He said that every day is a life-threatening situation.”

In a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from hospital, Mr Elkadi said: “I’ve been waiting for this moment. I swear to you,” adding “there are other people waiting”.

Mr Elkadi, a grandfather of one, is from a Bedouin village in the Rahat area of the Negev desert.

He worked for many years as a security guard at Kibbutz Magen, close to the Israel-Gaza border, where he was abducted 10 months ago.