Al-Sinwar using psychological warfare against Israeli society: Haaretz

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
26 Nov 2023 12:45

Hamas' delaying of the release of Israeli captives on Saturday is part of psychological warfare that Yahya Sinwar is launching on 'Israel'.

Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, delivers a speech during a meeting with people at a hall on the sea side of Gaza City, Palestine, April 30, 2022. (AP)

Hamas is waging psychological warfare against the Israeli occupation, which comes in line with the prisoner exchange deal and the humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip, Amos Harel wrote for Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Harel, Haaretz' military affairs analyst, said that the last-minute delay in releasing Israeli captives on Saturday night is part of psychological warfare that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza, would employ against "Israel".

"It was clear in advance" that the Resistance leader would take such action against "Israel".

Why did the Palestinian Resistance delay the release of captives?

The Palestinian Resistance delayed the release of 13 Israeli prisoners on Saturday after the occupation breached the terms of the mediated deal with the Palestinian Resistance.

The violations, according to Hamas top official Osama Hamdan, came in the form of the Israeli occupation going against stipulations regarding the truce, the prisoner swap, and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

"The number of aid trucks that have reached northern Gaza is less than half of what is agreed upon according to the ceasefire agreement," the Hamas official explained

"The Al-Qassam [Brigades] has decided to suspend the release of the second batch of prisoners, and there are contacts to address and end the violations," Hamdan said. "The violations committed by the occupation are related to the issue of trucks, in addition to shooting and killing civilians."

Israeli society is in a state of panic

Moreover, Harel said that one of the objectives of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, launched on October 7, is to impose the largest possible scale of anxiousness on Israeli society. He then confirmed that Hamas completely achieved this goal.

The military analyst also pointed to the clarity of the Palestinian Resistance's goals which include the liberation of 6,000 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons, in exchange for the release of all Israeli captives, dead or alive.

Harel emphasized that achieving the goal of the Resistance would mark a milestone unparalleled in Israeli political history—a taboo unapproached by any previous Israeli government.

Furthermore, Harel said that it is still unclear if taking such a decision would receive popular support among Israelis, despite the great sympathy that the families of Israeli captives have received.