Hamas has the upper hand: Tactic against Israel will further preserve the organization
Protesters in Tel Aviv demanding a hostage deal, April 24, 2024
It seems that Hamas’ strategy of releasing hostage videos is particularly effective and aimed at creating pressure and division within Israeli society. Judging by the behavior after the release of the latest videos, it is reasonable to conclude that Hamas’ goal is to influence global public opinion, including Israeli, in order to pressure the government to conduct a deal favorable to Hamas.
Such videos are not unique in the history of warfare, and they serve both to strengthen the support and morale of the “home” audience and to impact the enemy’s morale negatively. In the case of Hamas, the goal of each video can be understood by what happens after its broadcast.
Thus, after the publication of the kidnapped Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s video, spontaneous protests broke out in Jerusalem demanding an immediate deal for the release of the captives (without the involvement or approval of the family). A few days later, another video of Keith Siegel and Omri Miran was released – broadcast later on the evening news and also at a rally in Tel Aviv, where the families of the hostages demanded a deal “now.”
Kidnapping videos are a well-known technique for achieving wartime goals that are not achieved through military means. The new videos are part of a strategy designed to manipulate public opinion in order to achieve psychologically what Hamas is unable to achieve militarily. The effectiveness of this strategy can be seen in the reactions of the Israeli public, as immediately after the release of the second video, the father of one of the captives demanded: “Approve any deal. Every deal is a matter of execution. Please, from you – make a decision now!”
Indeed, the demands of Hamas, as reported and reflected in protests around the world, are to achieve a ceasefire and end Israel’s military operations. Videos that increase the pressure the public puts on the government to accept Hamas’ terms serve this purpose.
Hamas terrorists (credit: MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images)
Hamas terrorists (credit: MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images)
Hamas videos used to achieve psychologically what it cannot militarily
Hamas tends to produce videos to boast about its “achievements” to its “local” market. Hamas has a history of producing and promoting terror materials. Similar to the GoPro videos from October 7, apparently planned without regard to how it might be perceived by outsiders, Hamas has already presented videos showing how to stab a Jew or create missiles from water pipes. In fact, the denial of Hamas’ heinous acts despite the documented evidence, as well as the organization’s popularity among the Palestinian population and the Arab world in general, support the use of these tactics.
The abducted videos are just a small part of Hamas’ extensive and long-term use of psychological warfare, intended to promote their military and ideological goals. Some of the videos are used to strengthen their domestic image, some to create fear and confusion among Israelis, and some, like in the case of the abducted videos, to manipulate public opinion in an effort to achieve psychologically what cannot be achieved militarily.
If the Israeli strategy is indeed influenced by Hamas’ tactics, they will only increase the use of calculated psychological techniques and demonstrate how the “soft power” approach can silence adversaries with a clear military advantage.
The writer is a specialist in political psychology at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.