Hostage Warfare - Did HAMAS’s Strategy Work?

With the first release of Israeli hostages can HAMAS survive what is coming afterwards?

At 06:30 AM on October 7, 2023. HAMAS launched Operation al-Aqsa Storm.  The attack on 10-7 appeared to have two tactical goals. Number one, cross the Israeli fence border and execute the orders of HAMAS High Command:  That was to kill every living man, woman and child in Israel until the last fighter died at the hands of the Israeli army.  This mission achieved surprise and was highly successful. 

But a coda to the strategy was written in Hamas operations orders: “Take Jews as Hostages.” The instructions were found on the dead bodies of terrorists killed in battle buy the army and police. 

Designated HAMAS teams were to go into Israel and bring out hostages. These teams had specific very orders, and locations for where to bring the hostages. Hamas knew the value of a hostage. In 2006 Israeli army soldier Gilad Shalit was seized and held hostage for five years. In the end, Israel freed 1,027 terrorists convicted of murder, criminals and civilians who acted as spies in exchange for Shalit’s life.

So, HAMAS command clearly factored that if they took hundreds of hostages that Israel would be forced to release thousands, if not all Palestinians in Israeli custody.  This is why select abduction teams were ordered to bring men, women, elderly and especially the children out of Gaza within hours of the attack and secret them underground.  And so, they did.

Force Israel to Invade to Rescue the Hostages