From the Liveblog of
Friday, September 6, 2024
Hamas document details terror group’s use of psychological warfare to stall hostage talks, up pressure on Israel – report
A recent Hamas document quoted by a German newspaper reveals details about the psychological warfare campaign carried out by the terror group since it kidnapped 251 hostages, mostly civilians, during its October 7 massacre in southern Israel.
Citing the document, the Bild tabloid reports that Hamas is abusing the hostages held in Gaza to improve its position in hostage-ceasefire negotiations with Israel and ultimately recover military capabilities destroyed during the ongoing war.
The Hamas document, reportedly written in the Spring of 2024, was said to have been personally approved by the terror group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, having been found on his computer. No details are given as to how it was passed to the German publication.
“Continue to exert psychological pressure on the families of the prisoners, both now and during the first phase (of the ceasefire), so that public pressure on the enemy government increases,” the Hamas document reportedly says.
Since October 7, the terror group has regularly released videos of the hostages criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and begging for him to secure their release.
“During the negotiations for 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 document is quoted as saying.
Hebrew media reported earlier this week that Eden Yerushalmi, whose body was recovered from Gaza last weekend along with five others after they were murdered a day or two before the army reached them, appeared to have been starved and had lost 10 kilos in captivity, weighing only 36 kilos (79 lbs) when she was recovered.
The Bild report notes that the document does not mention the so-called Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza’s border with Egypt, which is understood to be one of the current sticking points in ongoing indirect negotiations.
The report says that Hamas is not seeking a fast end to the war in Gaza, but rather purposely drawing out hostage-ceasefire negotiations to increase pressure on the government and “exhaust” the military.
