Qaid Farhan Alkadi, the hostage who was rescued from the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, disclosed that he was held in Hamas captivity for two months with Aryeh Zalmanovich, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz and who died in captivity, KAN News reported.
Alkadi, who is Bedouin, said he witnessed Zalmanovich’s death in December 2023. The information was brought to light by former Rahat mayor Ata Abu Madighem, who relayed to this media source that Alkadi told him that “after two months, my Jewish friend died next to me.”
Alkadi said the two were held in a hospital in the southern Gaza Strip for the first few weeks after being taken hostage on October 7. Zalmanovich told Alkadi about his sons, the kibbutz he was from, and his love for his family.
Zalmanovich died five weeks after this, according to Alkadi.
Boaz, one of Zalmanovich’s sons, told KAN News that he came to understand that his father was in the hospital with Alkadi throughout the entire time of his captivity – approximately 40 days.
“A special bond was formed between them,” he said. “Farhan was also wounded, but he took care of dad and supported him. Dad was old and sick, did not receive proper medication and treatment, and was therefore murdered following this period of physical and mental agony. The captives are not always shot dead.”
“My dad told Farhan that he loved us and cared for the members of the kibbutz. He knew what happened to them.”
Alkadi was wounded during the October 7 massacre. He told the N12 news site that he was shot in the leg by terrorists on that day and, while in captivity, underwent surgery to remove the bullet.
Kibbutz Nir Oz responded to the KAN publication by saying in a statement that the “testimony completed the painful picture of the hellish moments that passed from the instant of Aryeh’s kidnapping until his tragic death.”
“This is a difficult and horrifying first-hand testimony of what the hostages who remain in Gaza are experiencing. There is no time for hesitation or procrastination. Everyone must come home now before it is too late. Every moment counts, and every delay may cost additional lives,” it warned.
Kidnapping of Zalmanovich
The video of 86-year-old Zalmanovich’s kidnapping from Nir Oz was published earlier in August on N12. In the video, dozens of people attempted to get closer to the motorcycle he was on as the group and his captures moved through the streets. Some could be seen striking Zalmanovich; he was visibly wounded and had bloodstains on his clothing and a head wound, N12 pointed out.
“The video shows the difficult moments in which Aryeh was being led on a motorcycle, bruised on his head, while a mob from Gaza brutally beat him,” Kibbutz Nir Oz stated. “This is chilling documentation that illustrates the suffering and horrors, and the physical and mental torture our hostages went through and are still going through for over 10 months.”