Captured documents reveal Hamas’s broader ambition to wreak havoc on Israel

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/10/12/exclusive-hamas-documents-sinwar-planning-iran/

11 Comments

  1. > The presentation includes photographs and descriptions of a three-man chariot drawn by horses that can cross rugged terrain with ease

    I knew they were delusional, but this is next level. Cargo cult warfare.

  2. Yes, and here is what NATO have long assessed to be Hamas’ tactics in this conflict: https://stratcomcoe.org/cuploads/pfiles/hamas_human_shields.pdf

    Hamas relies on the Israeli government’s aim to minimise collateral damage, and is also aware of the West’s sensitivity towards civilian casualties. Hamas’ use of human shields is therefore likely aimed at minimising their own vulnerabilities by limiting the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) freedom of action. It is also aimed at gaining diplomatic and public opinion-related leverage, by presenting Israel and the IDF as an aggressor that indiscriminately strikes civilians.

    Hamas’ most common uses of human shields include:

    1) Firing rockets, artillery, and mortars from or in proximity to heavily populated civilian areas, often from or near facilities which shoula be protected according to the Geneva convention (e.g. schools, hospitals, or mosques).

    2) Locating military or security-related infrastructures such as HQs, bases, armouries, access routes, lathes, or defensive positions within or in proximity to civilian areas.
    3) Protecting terrorists’ houses and military facilities, or rescuing terrorists who were besieged or warned by the IDF. ⁠
    4) Combating the IDF from or in proximity to residential and commercial areas, including using civilians for intelligence gathering missions.

    By engaging in these acts, Hamas employs a win-win scenario: if indeed the IDF uses kinetic power, and the number of civilian causalities surges, Hamas can use that as a weapon in the lawfares it conducts. It would be able to accuse the IDF (and Israel) of committing war crimes, which in turn could result in the imposition of a wide array of sanctions. On the other hand, if the IDF limits its use of military power in Gaza to avoid collateral damage Hamas will be less vulnerable to Israeli attacks, and thereby able to protect its assets while continuing to fight.

    We all need to start asking ourselves why we are letting them do this. Here is a way to start – by asking this question: https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/s/EKsbYkhRY2

  3. IllustriousCaramel66 on

    What a shocker ! I thought their plan was to bring peace and diversity like I heard lefties describing the situation…

  4. For people who don’t have access to the article, some key points:
    – Sinwar was asking for $500m from Iran, in addition to training 12,000 more Hamas terrorists.
    – In 2021, Sinwar addressed several high ranking Iranian officials, claiming he could completely annihilate Israel within 2 years.
    – Hamas was planning to bring down skyscrapers in and around Tel Aviv, in particular saying that if they succeed in that, it will be a catastrophe for Israel similar to 9/11
    – They planned to use the railway system to move explosives into cities, and convert cars to run on the tracks
    – They also planned to convert fishing boats to fast attack boats that can carry explosives and/or terrorists.
    – They planned to use horse drawn chariots due to their ability to cross rough terrain as well as being quieter and smaller heat signature

  5. We knew that given the chance, they would have done worse. But knowing what the plan was is actually sickening

  6. No surprise here. Hamas were determined to bring down Israel no matter what it took.

    Majority of the world think of Israel as aggressor but people who pay attention know that Hamas are the one most responsible as they clearly engineered attack that made Israel appear as the bad guy.