The deadly assault launched by Hamas against Israel on October 7th has prompted questions about what motivated the Terrorist group to initiate such a large scale and brutal attack. While the full reasoning is complex, several key factors likely contributed to Hamas’ decision to unleash a barrage of rockets and armed terrorists at Israeli cities.

Iran’s Support Encourages Hamas

Hamas relies heavily on political and financial backing from Iran. Leaders of Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups have made repeated visits to Tehran to meet with military officials and even Iran’s Supreme Leader. This ongoing relationship with Tehran has helped strengthen Hamas militarily and ideologically.

Some analysts believe Iran encouraged the attack to try to derail diplomatic talks between Israel and Saudi Arabia. They argue Iran feared being isolated if its arch enemies made peace. While Iran denies any role, it’s clear close ties between Hamas and Tehran have fueled the conflict.

Ismail Haniyeh with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in 2006 (from “emilyintelaviv” Instagram profile)

 Hamas Asserts Itself on the World Stage

For Hamas, the assault provided an opportunity to assert itself as the preeminent resistance force against Israel. Hamas has eclipsed other Palestinian factions in projecting an image of armed struggle against the “occupation”. Its supporters see the attack as a powerful show of strength, regardless of the consequences.

By bombing the Israeli heartland and attacking its civilians, Hamas sought to prove it is a formidable military and political force that cannot be ignored. The group knew Israel would likely respond with overwhelming force but was willing to pay the price to send a message.

 Luring Israel into a difficult and dangerous situation

Some experts believe Hamas also intended to draw Israel into a bloody ground war in Gaza. Similar to Israel’s experience in Lebanon in the 1980s, Hamas may have gambled that a protracted urban conflict could weaken Israeli resolve over time, especially if civilian casualties mount.

Lebanon War, 1982 (Erez Tal Facebook page)

The group seems ready to subject Gaza to devastating counterattacks in hopes that the human toll rallies international sympathy for the Palestinian cause. For Hamas, civilian suffering in Gaza is a price worth paying.

 Capitalising on Israeli Domestic Strife

The timing of the attack may have been calculated to exploit turmoil in Israel’s governing coalition. The government was distracted by controversial judicial reforms that had fractured Israeli society. Observers noted the lack of focus on the Hamas threat.

With the government weakened by internal divisions, Hamas saw an opportunity to catch Israel off guard. The threat of some reservists refusing to serve over the reforms likely emboldened Hamas further. The assault came after warnings from Hezbollah that Israel was vulnerable.

Conclusion: No Shortage of Motivations

While the full rationale remains uncertain, Hama was driven by a mix of ideological conviction, Iranian support, domestic calculations, and a desire to assert itself on the global stage. The confluence of these factors help explain the unprecedented scale of Hamas’ deadly gamble, regardless of the massive retaliation it provoked. With so many complex motivations, another round of violence likely awaits unless underlying issues are resolved.

Flags of the murderous terrorist organization (ISIS) were found on the bodies of the terrorists who were killed by Nahal Brigade fighters in the kibbutz Sufa, From “צה”ל – צבא ההגנה לישראל” Facebook page.

Extremist Terrorist Ideology

Hamas, like ISIS, is motivated by a radical ideology that rejects any compromise and seeks the elimination of its enemies. Both organizations share the extremist, maximalist objective of establishing fundamentalist Islamic authority over territory they consider theirs—for Hamas, an Islamic Palestinian state in place of Israel. Hamas has used this ideological rigidity to justify using unrestrained violence to further its goal.

 Hamas and ISIS are renowned for using terror to achieve absolutist political and religious goals. Their Manichean ideology separates humanity into virtuous believers and subhuman foes deserving of annihilation. This thought system permits the ends to justify the methods.

 Terror Innovation

Hamas and ISIS have steadily increased the bloodshed they cause by using surprise, deceit, and civilian shields. Hamas employs tunnel networks, urban warfare tactics, abduction, and homemade devices. In its worldwide terror campaign, ISIS has used techniques ranging from suicide bombers to hostage beheadings to automobile rammings.

This deadly innovation of terror techniques reveals a fundamental lack of morality and a blatant disrespect for human life and dignity, uncurbed by ethical constraints. Terrorism is only concerned with inflicting injury, frightening opponents, and grabbing media attention. Both factions consider non-combatant civilians to be lawful targets.

 Human Shields

 One of the most heinous methods shared by Hamas and ISIS is the use of involuntary human shields. Hamas places military bases and rocket launchers in densely populated civilian districts, knowing that Israeli counter-attacks, or rocket misfires, will result in civilian casualties. Hamas then uses these civilian casualties to fuel propaganda.

Similarly, ISIS has deployed military equipment near civilian facilities and employed civilians as shields during defensive operations. Both groups display a frightening disregard for life and a willingness to sacrifice their own people. Their dehumanizing worldview rejects the fundamental dignity of human life.

 To shock the world, execute the innocent

 The gruesome killing of innocent victims, frequently civilians, is among the most heinous atrocities committed by both Hamas and ISIS. ISIS attracted international attention after releasing gruesome beheading footage of non-combatant charity workers and journalists. Terrorists from Hamas have executed alleged collaborators without trial and murdered prisoners in front of cameras.

Such atrocities against innocent people to instill terror demonstrate the barbarism at the heart of these groups, regardless of their political or religious guises. Killing civilians should be unequivocally and universally condemned. Such brazen bloodthirstiness should shock the world’s conscience.

From “RT” Facebook page

Who is responsible?

 While ISIS has spread internationally, Hamas has remained concentrated regionally. Hamas initially participated in democratic elections and serves as the civil authority in Gaza, albeit ineffectively. But the fundamental fact remains: a radical terrorist group runs Gaza. 

 Those who say that Gazans bear no responsibility for Hamas after voting it into power in 2006 do not recognize their agency. Even under repressive regimes, nonviolent civic resistance is viable if the people band together behind it. Without it, Hamas will remain entrenched. Gazans must emancipate themselves by rising up against Hamas.

The Need for a New Path Forward

Israel has a legal right to defend itself against Hamas. However, military might alone cannot provide long-term peace and stability. Negotiation appears remote, given Hamas’ radical worldview. Innovative approaches are needed to achieve peace. Outreach, collaboration on common interests such as infrastructure, reducing harmful restrictions, and backing Palestinian moderates can all help to ease tensions over time.

Hamas and ISIS share an extremist, maximalist philosophy that justifies terror and has failed Palestinians. Lasting peace requires breaking the cycles of terror and violence Hamas relies on, as well as great patience and bravery.

From “Andrea Switch” Facebook page

Hamas’s purposeful and morally repugnant deployment of human shields is a sad chapter in the complicated and frequently tragic story of the wars between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The international community has denounced this unlawful strategy, which not only transgresses fundamental human rights but also raises serious concerns about who is ultimately responsible for such conduct.

From “Israeli Air Force” Facebook page.

“The Hamas terrorist organization uses the residents of the Gaza Strip as human shields, and launches rockets from civilian infrastructure, areas and buildings in the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the war, the IDF has identified about 550 failed launches fired by Hamas that landed inside the Gaza Strip.”

A Serious Human Rights Offense

Placing military targets close to civilian populations in the cynical hope that their presence will dissuade assaults is known as the deployment of people shields. It’s a strategy built on heartless logic that carelessly jeopardizes innocent lives. Numerous reports over the years show a constant and alarming trend of Hamas using this tactic to exploit civilians’ vulnerabilities for their military gain.

Hamas carefully placed their soldiers and weapons during the 2008–2009 Gaza War in heavily populated locations, transforming schools, hospitals, and residential structures into potential battlegrounds. Women, children, and other civilians were purposefully put in danger and made into unwilling pawns in a risky game of warfare. Such conduct blatantly defies the values of fundamental decency and the sacredness of human life.

Reckless History: Lessons from Past Conflicts

The 2014 battle revealed just how little respect Hamas has for human life. Amnesty International provided evidence of occasions when Hamas called for civilians to serve as human shields, taking advantage of the Israeli military’s custom of notifying people before carrying out targeted attacks. Tragically, Hamas pushed its own people to stay in danger rather than protect them, taking advantage of their presence for tactical gain.

Hamas’ determination to sacrifice innocent lives for its own goals is demonstrated by the group’s swift deaths of supposed “collaborators” and the positioning of their bodies at tunnel openings during the same battle. Such behaviors flaunt a fundamental ethical bankruptcy that taints the values of justice and human rights in addition to breaking international law.

Tunnels of Terror: Strategically Using the Depths

Hamas’ vast network of underground tunnels serves as both a tactical advantage and a symbol of the group’s cruelty. These tunnels, built for weapon storage and fighter movement, are deliberately located beneath residential areas and endanger individuals living nearby and any military force seeking to neutralize these threats without incurring civilian fatalities.

In addition to their military use, the tunnels are said to have been holding cells for Israeli captives seized. This terrible technique highlights the group’s apparent contempt for civilian safety and well-being, utilizing them as bargaining chips in an already violent battle.

“A terror tunnel was uncovered under an UNRWA school in the Gaza Strip”, From “Danny Danon – דני דנון” Facebook page.

Unethical Strategies and Legal Punishment

Aside from the ethical considerations, Hamas’ use of human shields is a flagrant violation of international law. The Geneva Convention expressly prohibits the use of civilians to protect military objectives. Such activities are classified as war crimes under the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute. Despite these obvious legal rules, Hamas continues to ignore international conventions, allowing it to avoid accountability for its actions.

The explanation for Hamas’s continued use of this unlawful approach is manifold. They hope to restrict military reactions and gain sympathy in the global arena by abusing the moral restraint of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Tragically, civilian losses due to Israeli attacks fuel their propaganda machine, further muddying the waters of an already complicated battle.

The Global Call for Condemnation and Accountability

The international community must not stay silent in the face of such flagrant human rights abuses and international law. Hamas’s use of human shields must be condemned unequivocally, and those involved must be brought to account. These practices should be investigated as war crimes by the International Criminal Court, with people held accountable for their roles in these morally abhorrent techniques.

The global community must insist on Hamas’s adherence to the principles of proportionality and distinction in armed conflicts. Israel’s commitment to minimizing civilian casualties and their perseverance and respect for civilian life, even in the face of these tactics, should be recognized. At the same time, there must be an unyielding demand for Hamas to cease the exploitation of its own population for military gain.

Conclusion: A Moral Duty to Act

Hamas’s use of human shields is a stain on the international community’s conscience. It serves as a clear reminder of the critical need to uphold the ideals of humanity and justice, regardless of geopolitical complexity. Victims of immoral techniques are not anonymous numbers but people with families, dreams, and the right to live free from the horrors of war.

As we condemn the use of human shields, we must also acknowledge the broader imperative to seek a just and lasting resolution to the conflicts in the region. Only through a collective commitment to justice, accountability, and a genuine pursuit of peace can we hope to extinguish the shadows of suffering that linger over the lives of those caught in the crossfire. Hamas’s exploitation of human shields demands a united response, not just as a condemnation of their actions but as a clarion call for a better, more humane world.