Straddling Tense Divide, Family of Bedouin Hostage Celebrates His Release and Pray for Cease-Fire

Amid the sobs of relatives rushing to hug Farhan al-Qadi and the ululations of neighbors celebrating his return home to a Bedouin village in southern Israel on Wednesday, the first thing the rescued hostage wanted to do was find his mother.

When he did, he dropped to his knees and kissed her feet.

Mr. al-Qadi, 52, the first Israeli Arab to be rescued alive since the deadly Hamas-led attack and abductions on Oct. 7, later spoke of his gratitude for the Israeli forces and medics who had rescued and cared for him.

Then, with the Israeli bombardment of neighboring Gaza echoing in the background, he made a plea to both sides: Stop the killing.

“To Palestinians and Israelis, I wish an end to this war,” he told those gathered. “Palestinians and Israelis feel the same pain.”

Joy was palpable in the ramshackle village of Karkur, a place of squat homes made of tarpaulin and metal sheeting not far from the town of Rahat.The celebration uplifted members of Mr. al-Qadi’s family, who have been grappling with two kinds of heartbreak since October, straddling both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide.

The Bedouin minority were victims of the Hamas-led kidnappings, and are also aching for their Palestinian relatives in Gaza.