In the shadows of Gaza's tunnels, a grim production unfolds. Hamas militants, armed not just with guns but with cameras, are orchestrating a psychological campaign that has gripped Israel and the world. Their actors are unwilling hostages, forced to perform for an audience of millions.
A Script of Fear and Hope
Aviva Siegel, 62, recalls her 51 days in captivity. "I always forgot something," she says, describing the surreal experience of being filmed by her captors. "So I had to say it again and again and again."
Siegel's story is not unique. Since the October 7 attack that saw approximately 250 Israelis taken hostage, Hamas has turned captivity into a macabre form of theater. The group's strategy (weaponizing hope and despair in equal measure) is working out alarmingly well for them.
The Production Team
Behind each video is a carefully orchestrated team. A cameraman, a Hebrew speaker to coach the hostages, even a makeshift makeup artist attempting to make captives "presentable" for their on-screen moments. It's a stark contrast to the brutal reality of their imprisonment.
"It's a very slow-motion form of trauma and torture," says Rachel Goldberg-Polin, whose son Hersh appeared in a video released in April (his body was recently retrieved by Israeli forces after he and 5 other Israeli hostages were executed at point blank range, after surviving immense and unimaginable suffering for 330 days). The irony is not lost on her: many families, desperate for any sign of life, cling to these videos as lifelines.
A New Weapon in an Old War
Although Hamas' use of hostage videos is not new, but the scale and sophistication of their current campaign is. Gershon Baskin, an Israeli hostage negotiator, notes the group's improved understanding of Israeli society and their more professional editing techniques.
"Hamas is exploiting the public sentiment," Baskin explains. "They want this war to end, and this is how they think pressure can be put on Netanyahu."
The Home Front
As the videos circulate, they fuel a growing crisis within Israel. Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets, demanding action from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The pressure is mounting, exactly as Hamas intended.
For the families of the hostages, each video is a double-edged sword. Chen Almog-Goldstein, another released hostage, describes being filmed with her children in the tunnels, Israeli snacks placed in their trembling hands. That video was never released, leaving her family in agonizing uncertainty.
The Legal and Moral Quagmire
The production of these videos, made under duress, can constitute a war crime under international law. Yet, as the months drag on without a deal, some desperate families have given their blessing to air them, hoping to keep the issue in the public eye.
A Race Against Time
With 101 hostages still held in Gaza, and as many as half feared dead, the clock is ticking as the world watches a nation torn between military action and negotiation, between hope and despair.
The hostage videos are a chilling reminder that Hamas really doesn't care about the human cost of producing these images. All they care about their misguided agenda as they cynically make and then publish images and video footage to turn Israel on its head.
* The Washington Post contributed to this article.
