Israel special forces rescue hostage held in southern Gaza

• There are now 108 hostages being held in Gaza.

Driving the news: The IDF rescued 52-year-old Kaid Farhan Al-Qadi, a Muslim-Israeli who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 from his security job at a packing factory in Kibbutz Magen.

• He was rescued from a Hamas tunnel in southern Gaza strip by the IDF Navy SEALs unit, the IDF said.
• The IDF said Qadi was evacuated to a hospital in Israel and is in good medical condition.
• Israeli officials said the IDF forces entered the tunnel based on intelligence that suggested hostages might have been held there. When the forces were in the tunnel, Qadi made contact with them. Israeli officials said he was in the tunnel by himself without his captives.

What they're saying: "Kaid's return home is nothing short of miraculous," the Hostages Families Forum said in a statement.

• "However, we must remember: military operations alone cannot free the remaining 108 hostages ... a negotiated deal is the only way forward," the statement said.
• "We urgently call on the international community to maintain pressure on Hamas to accept the proposed deal and release all hostages," it continued.

The big picture: The negotiations on the hostage and ceasefire deal continued in Cairo on Sunday and Monday with working-level officials from Israel, Hamas, Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. working on the text of the agreement.

• White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Monday that one of the issues discussed in Cairo was the hostages and prisoners exchange process. He said progress has been made.
• The talks ended on Monday night with Israeli officials returning to Israel and Hamas officials going back to Doha for consultations.
• An Israeli delegation of working-level officials from the Mossad, the IDF and the Shin Bet will travel to Doha on Wednesday to continue the talks with U.S., Qatari and Egyptian officials with the aim of closing the remaining gaps in the deal, Israeli officials say.

Editor's note: This story has been updated throughout with details.