Documents Detail Hamas Plan to Use Hostages to Remain Military Threat

Latest Developments

A document found on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s computer revealed the Iran-backed terrorist organization’s strategy to intentionally abuse hostages as psychological warfare against Israel, the German tabloid Bild reported on September 6. According to the report, the document, dating from spring and made available exclusively to Bild, was personally approved by Sinwar. The document stated that Hamas should “Continue to exert psychological pressure on the families of the prisoners, both now and during the first phase [of a ceasefire deal], so that public pressure on the enemy government increases.” It also outlines Hamas’s strategy to delay ceasefire negotiations — despite the heavy toll on Gaza’s civilians — to obtain terms that would allow it to rebuild its military capabilities.  

Expert Analysis

“We didn’t need a document to know that Hamas employs psychological warfare and delays any ceasefire in hopes of winning more U.S. and international pressure on Israel for increasingly better terms. The most relevant question is whether the United States will shift its own strategy to stop playing into Sinwar’s hands.” — Richard Goldberg, FDD Senior Advisor

“Hamas’s only leverage against the Jewish state is tormenting defenseless Israeli hostages. Hamas does so precisely because Israelis value life so dearly and have such a tight-knit democratic society. The Hamas death cult, on the other hand, dragged Gaza into its futile quest to annihilate the Jewish state, hoping to use Palestinian deaths as ammunition against Israel. And Western activists and governments have been only too happy to oblige.” — David May, FDD Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst

Hamas Releases Videos of Murdered Hostages

The report comes in a week during which several videos of Israeli hostages were posted publicly, in which they are forced to criticize the Israeli government and beg for their release. Israel’s recovery of the six recently executed hostages on September 1, including 23-year-old American citizen Hersh Golberg-Polin, sparked protests in Israel from Israelis urging the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enter into a ceasefire and hostage-prisoner exchange agreement with the terrorist group, hoping that such a deal would release the 101 remaining hostages. Hamas has used psychological warfare tactics throughout the conflict, releasing coerced videos of hostages and spreading disinformation — such as falsely reporting the deaths of hostages, claiming it cannot locate some hostages, and blaming Israeli military strikes for hostage deaths.

Hamas’s Ceasefire Goals

The document revealed Hamas’s strategy during the negotiations, which includes manipulating international opinion against Israel by asserting that Israel is responsible for rejecting the U.S.-proposed ceasefire deal and that negotiations are failing because of “Israel’s stubbornness.” Meanwhile, the group believes that deliberately dragging on negotiations would “exhaust” Israel’s military and increase international pressure on the Jewish state. The document stated, “Important clauses in the agreement should be improved, even if negotiations continue over a long period of time.” 

If an agreement is reached, the group plans to continue using hostages “to exert psychological pressure” throughout the first and second phases. During the second phase, Hamas “will allow the Red Cross to visit some of the prisoners as a gesture of goodwill and to convey messages to their relatives.”

The report states one of Hamas’s demands is to have Arab states provide peacekeeping forces along Gaza’s border, believing that such a force would allow it to reorganize its ranks and rebuild its military capabilities. It would also demand that Israel release at least 100 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israel.

Related Analysis

“U.S. Officials Admit That Hamas May Reject Any Deal,” FDD Flash Brief

“After Brutal Executions, Will IDF Operations to Rescue Hostages Continue?” by Enia Krivine

“Hamas Executes Six Israeli Hostages in Rafah, IDF Returns Remains to Families,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas hostage video reveals depths of group’s evil,” by Seth J. Frantzman