Qaid Farhan Alkadi, who was rescued from Hamas captivity on Tuesday in a joint operation by the IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), revealed details from his captivity, including undergoing surgery with almost no anesthesia and witnessing the murder of a fellow hostage, N12 reported on Wednesday.
Alkadi shared with N12 that he was shot in the leg by terrorists on October 7 and, while in captivity, underwent surgery to remove the bullet in his leg.
“The surgery was done with almost no anesthesia, and it was extremely painful. Initially, I was held in an apartment with other hostages, and there was very little food.”
Alkadi stated that just a few weeks after he was taken hostage, terrorists filmed other hostages held with him. He recounted to N12 that in the video one could see the hostage dying, which was filmed but never released by the terrorists. He shared how he witnessed the murder of the hostage Aryeh Zalmanovich beside him, according to KAN News.
Alkadi said he was allowed to bathe once a month, stating, “Once a month, they let me bathe in a basin. I was kept alone in a tunnel, in complete darkness.”
Regarding his movement in Gaza, he said, “After about two months, the terrorists moved me to a tunnel. There, I was alone, surrounded only by the terrorists. I couldn’t tell the difference between day and night.”
“The terrorists were masked and mostly gave me slices of bread to eat – there was very little food. It was pitch black, and I would place my hands over my eyes to make sure I could still see; it was that dark,” he told N12.
Alkadi also recounted the story of his rescue to N12. He said that he heard extensive IDF bombing in Gaza, and in his final days of captivity, terrorists left him a small portion of bread and fled. Only later, he would hear Hebrew and realize that IDF soldiers were operating nearby.
Prior to entering the tunnel where Alkadi was held, soldiers carried out operations and actions that led to the escape of the terrorists holding Alkadi. After this, the soldiers began searching the tunnel. Alkadi called out to them in Hebrew, and they engaged in a conversation to ensure it wasn’t a trap. They finally extracted him safely.
Medical mistreatment of hostages
The medical mistreatment of hostages in Hamas captivity has been captured in the testimonies of other former hostages.
Mia Schem’s aunt told Walla in November that her niece had been operated on by a veterinarian.
Former hostage Itay Regev also reported medical mistreatment while in captivity, telling Reuters that a bullet was removed from his leg by a “scared and sweaty doctor” without anesthesia.
Maya Regev, the sister of Itay, had to have surgery as her foot needed reattachment following Hamas’s October 7 violence. While the foot was reattached, it was left at an unnatural angle, and she gave her January interview to Reuters from a wheelchair.