Hamas’s killing of six hostages, and possible killing of more if the IDF attempts rescues, appears to represent a new level of psychological warfare
Hamas’s execution of six hostages may represent a new phase in the Israel–Hamas war: an effort to divide Israeli society.
The terrorist organization, which has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007 and started the war with its Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, said after the Israeli army discovered the hostages’ bodies on Aug. 31 that it has issued new instructions to those guarding the remaining hostages.
The new orders were issued after Israel’s successful rescue of four hostages in Nuseirat in June, Hamas spokesman Hudhaifa Kahlout, known by the nom de guerre Abu Obeida, said.
“We say to everyone clearly that after the Nuseirat incident, new instructions were issued to the mujahedeen assigned to guard the prisoners regarding dealing with them if the occupation army approached their place of detention,” Kahlout said on Sept. 2.
Israel said it believes the terror group has given standing orders to those guarding the hostages to kill them if they think Israeli forces are nearing.
The bodies of the six killed hostages—Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi—were found on Aug. 31 in a tunnel underneath Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference on Sept. 2 that the six had all been shot in the back of the head.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s spokesman, said on Sept. 1 that the army found the bodies in a tunnel about a kilometer from the one in which the army rescued Farhan Alkadi a few days earlier.
“Since Farhan’s identification, the forces have been instructed to act with extra caution, even more so than usual, understanding that there might be additional hostages in the area,” Hagari said. “We did not have information on the exact location of the hostages. Combat was ongoing above ground, and the troops eliminated terrorists even during the battles there yesterday.”
There are conflicting reports about when they were shot. Autopsies on Sept. 1 determined they’d been killed 48 to 72 hours prior, late on Aug. 29 or early on Aug. 30.
