Among the many striking photos of the three Israelis The hostages were released on SundayA video clip shows dozens of armed Hamas fighters in full combat gear at the delivery site in Gaza City.
The men, who surrounded the women as they were handed over to the Red Cross, wore almost new-looking combat fatigues and matching black masks, with green bandanas bearing the Hamas logo tied around their heads.
They also arrived in a convoy of several white vehicles that appeared to be clean and little damaged, and stood out amid the extensive destruction of the surrounding buildings.
While it was impossible to count exact numbers, there appeared to be dozens of armed men surrounding the convoy, while many others were scattered among the chaotic crowd that had come to watch.
It was the first major public appearance in months for the armed group responsible for the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel that killed about 1,200 people.
The attack sparked 15 months of war and a devastating Israeli bombing campaign that killed more than 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, more than half of whom were women and children.
Hamas dance
The choreography at the delivery site appears well thought out and designed to send messages to Hamas’s rivals as well as the Palestinians, say those who have studied Israel’s closest rival.
“They are trying to show control,” said Erwin Mansdorf of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
“It is their great achievement that, even after all their losses and victims, they still maintain control of Gaza. This is not easy,” he told CBC News in Jerusalem.
Although the names of Rumi Gonen, Emilie Damari and Doron Steinbrecher were delayed in being handed over to Israel, delaying the implementation of the ceasefire, the group appeared well prepared for their extradition.
Each of the women – who were held against their will for 470 days – received what Israeli media called a “gift bag” bearing the logo of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.
Inside, there were reportedly pictures of captive women, a small map of Gaza and a necklace. A Hamas videographer took pictures of them carrying the bags before they sped off, and later posted a video clip on social media.
While Hamas made an effort during the only other hostage release in November 2023 to portray Israelis as guests rather than captives, this event was significantly more elaborate.
“It was clearly not intended for Israeli consumption,” Mansdorf said, noting that Hamas is trying to show Palestinians and others who sympathize with the group that militants are sympathetic actors who act in legitimate ways.
The women also received release certificates printed by Hamas, as if confirming the validity of their detention in Gaza.
Considering the imminent collapse of basic services for hundreds of thousands of civilians in Gaza, the fact that Hamas managed to pull the event together at all is remarkable, says Mansdorf.
“Where do they get a printing press to print (the certificates)? Where do they go to the store to get (stationery) to put these certificates in, where do they get cleaners to clean their clothes?”
The force is not clear
The exact strength of the armed group is uncertain.
A year ago, Israeli officials About 18,000, he said Hamas fighters were killed in its attacks, out of 25,000 who may have been killed at the beginning of the war. They now estimate the death toll at nearly 20,000 people, but Hamas says Israel has greatly exaggerated the numbers.
Haaretz, a left-leaning Israeli newspaper that is often highly critical of the government, The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) accused) By randomly killing civilians in Gaza, and then claiming that the victims belong to Hamas.
Recently, American officials in the previous Biden administration It was also indicated They believe that although Hamas has lost thousands of fighters, the group has also been able to compensate for these losses with new recruits, fueled by resentment against the Israeli occupation of the territories.
Officials in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government acknowledge that the armed group remains an effective military force.
“We did not liquidate Hamas, but we certainly transformed Hamas from a full-fledged army with many capabilities into a guerrilla army,” said Sharyn Haskell, a Canadian-born Israeli MK who currently serves as Israel’s deputy foreign minister. .
She said the demonstration over the hostage exchange was a propaganda effort by Hamas, and that because of the ceasefire, the group’s members clearly now feel confident that they can “dare to come out of their underground holes.”
Whether the cessation of fighting is a temporary truce or a more permanent ceasefire, Hamas appears to be taking quick steps to reassert its presence in Gaza and thwart any efforts by other groups to take control of the Strip.
In addition to the hostage exchange, policemen wearing Hamas uniforms were seen returning to the streets of Gaza again, albeit in small numbers.
“They’re trying to show strength,” Haskell said.
Post-war plan
Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that his goal is to drive Hamas out of Gaza, but he has also refused to specify who he believes should run the area.
The Palestinian Authority, Hamas’s rival, headed by the Fatah movement, controls the occupied West Bank and is headquartered in Ramallah.
The Palestinian Authority announced that it is ready and wants to assume full responsibility for Gaza, but Netanyahu and Hamas rejected this option.
It is worth noting that the ceasefire that was just signed between Hamas and Israel does not include any official role for the Palestinian Authority.
The two rivals, who met at the end of 2024, are trying to find a common way forward, but the process now appears stalled.
In addition to its military wing, Hamas also controls the civilian government in Gaza, with its officials running key services from the Ministry of Health to garbage collection to the police.
While many in Gaza hold Hamas responsible for the devastation Israel has inflicted on the Strip, it is rare to hear public criticism of the regime.
However, the public re-emergence of Hamas on the first day of the ceasefire was widely discussed in the region.
Alaa Odeh, a Gaza resident in Khan Yunis, said, “We did not expect this.” “(They had) new cars and new clothes, as if they were in hotels, not in tunnels.”
“This is a shocking thing for our people – and not only for the Israeli people – but also for the Palestinian people.”
Muhammad Abdo, who also lives in Khan Yunis, said that after Hamas activists disappeared from the streets of Gaza for several months, everyone was surprised by their sudden return.
He said: “We never thought that Hamas would return in this form and with this strength.” He added, “After what we saw (Sunday), we realized that Hamas still exists and is still strong.”
And perhaps not only in Gaza.
Following Israel’s release of 90 Palestinian detainees early Monday morning, huge celebrations were held in the occupied West Bank towns where buses dropped them off.
Among the jubilant supporters were people waving the Hamas flag and expressing their support for the militants – developments that will undoubtedly alarm the Palestinian Authority, which is concerned about growing support for Hamas in the West Bank.
Mansdorf says Hamas is seizing the opportunity to try to portray the ceasefire as a victory, despite the enormous cost to Palestinian lives and the massive destruction in the region.
“Is it a victory? They act as if it is.”
https://i.cbc.ca/1.7436296.1737400448!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_1180/2194190207.jpg?im=Resize%3D620
Source link