Israel made this exchange because of the Jewish value of treasuring each individual life.

13 Israeli hostages are now under Israeli supervision and on their way home, and 39 criminals are returning to Gaza. Israel made this exchange because of the Jewish value of treasuring each individual life.  But given that Hamas repeatedly demonstrates that they have no respect for life, even for their own civilians whom they use as human shields, why is Hamas actually making this exchange?  

There is the obvious reason that it gives Hamas days to recover and regroup, but there is another, more insidious and dangerous reason for Hamas to make this exchange. A reason that has nothing to do with the military war against Israel that they cannot win. This is regarding the war that they can, God forbid, win: the war to hurt the world’s opinion of Israel.

Hamas has been winning that war of public opinion since the moment Israel started going into Gaza after the depravities of October 7. Quickly, the world forgot and ignored the horrors they perpetrated in favor of focusing on the “innocent victims in Gaza” who were being killed in the crossfire with Israel. The images of beheaded babies and raped women were replaced by images of Gazan children crying; all of which prompted demonstrations and protests against Israel around the world. These demonstrations put pressure on governments like the United States to apply pressure on Israel to have a ceasefire. The more “innocent victims” in Gaza, the more worldwide pressure has been put on Israel to only defeat, and not totally destroy Hamas. And anything less than a total destruction of Hamas allows Hamas, God forbid, to fulfill their promise of repeating the horrors of October 7 again and again.

That is their goal: to win the war of public relations and manipulate the world to force Israel to back down from their stated and necessary goal of destroying Hamas. Remembering that truth in combination with looking at the actions that are taking place right now in Gaza allows us to see why Hamas wanted this ceasefire time and how this hostage exchange is part of a larger plan. It also shows us the truth about Gaza’s “innocents”.

From the moment the ceasefire started, hours before the hostages were exchanged, Hamas revealed its real goal of this ceasefire time if we only look at their actions. It is a setup to increase demonstrations for Gazan “civilians” after Israel recommences the war.

Thousands of Gazan “civilians” are moving from the safety of the south back to the battlefield of the north, including women and children. On Thursday night, Hamas urged that all “civilians” who support them go back to the north. Why would they do this? Why would any family consciously put themselves back in harm’s way when they could stay safely in the south?

It is because they are not “innocent civilians” at all. They are simply Hamas terrorists and supporters without physical weapons. These “civilians” are not forced human shields being abused by Hamas, they are willing and active cogs in the Hamas war effort, willing to die for their cause of destroying Israel and repeating the horrors of October 7, which they celebrated in the streets of Gaza at that time. They are unarmed soldiers whose only goal is to protect Hamas against Israel when the war is restarted in a few days. These “innocents” are anything but innocent, and are returning to the north with the intent of stopping Israel from destroying Hamas bases, tunnels, and weapons.

These thousands of unarmed soldiers are not being forced to be human shields. They are returning to the north so that they can become martyrs. They hope to die for their cause, and in so doing, create more images of “innocents” dying to negatively affect world opinion of Israel. They are hoping that their presence as “civilians” will protect Hamas bases from Israeli attacks; that it will lead to more IDF deaths, God forbid, and that if they die, they will have sacrificed themselves as brave soldiers for Hamas in the effort to get the world to allow Hamas to survive this war.

As depraved as Hamas’ acts on October 7 were, the acts of these unarmed soldiers betray an equally sick and twisted psychology.  

Thousands of Gazans are consciously putting their own children in harm’s way with one intent: to protect Hamas with their children’s lives. These are not innocent civilians; they are the very worst and most dangerous type of soldiers: soldiers with a death wish. Not just for themselves, but for their children.

Golda Meir was right when she said that we would only have peace when they love their children more than they hate us.

We must remember in the coming days when the war recommences that these “civilians” are not innocent, but are Hamas soldiers. They are not innocents that Hamas is using as human shields; they are soldiers that are consciously choosing to sacrifice themselves for Hamas’ goals. They are not parents most concerned with their children’s welfare and safety; they are committed fanatics who will willingly let their children die if it will further the cause of Hamas.

They truly hate us more than they love their own children.  

So when the images come out in the next weeks of crying Gazan families who died while Israel returned to destroying Hamas bases and tunnels, remember that these are not victims, but fanatical soldiers who have chosen to sacrifice themselves as part of supporting Hamas. We must never forget that these families are leaving the safety of the south in order to actively help Hamas and it’s war effort. They are not victims, they are unarmed soldiers who have not only volunteered for the Hamas army, but have volunteered their children. 

This is why Hamas is making an exchange:  to create victims that will manipulate world opinion against Israel… and it is truly an insidious goal. 

They have chosen to make their children soldiers and sacrifices. It is sick, twisted, and horrific, and their evil in doing this must always be remembered.

May the day not be distant when Arab parents do love their children more than they hate Jews, and may we see the results of parental love in a world of peace.

Source - PJ Media, Rav Barclay

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