How Israel used Hamas' hostage release ceremonies to gather critical intel

Telegram accounts identified with Hamas opponents reported the death of Uday Nasser Saadi al-Rabai, a 22-year-old Gazan from the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in southern Gaza City in the northern Strip. According to the reports, he was tortured and severely beaten by Hamas operatives. Al-Rabai took part in protests that occurred last week in the northern Strip, and as a result, he was kidnapped by Hamas operatives, brutally tortured after being dragged with a rope tied around his neck, and then returned to his family with a message from Hamas that this was "punishment for speaking against the organization."

Hamas opponents emphasized that al-Rabai was returned to his family in critical condition due to the abuse he endured and died of his injuries a few hours later. However, al-Rabai’s death is just a small example of the brutal policy Hamas enforces in the Gaza Strip.

In a video uploaded to social media, al-Rabai’s father stated that his son was tortured to death by operatives of Hamas’s military wing and vowed they would respond with an "iron fist" to this murder out of vengeance. Additionally, during al-Rabai’s funeral procession, chants of "Hamas out," "With spirit and blood, we’ll redeem you, Uday," were heard, along with gunfire into the air.

Sources in Hamas told the London-based newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat last Thursday that the organization conducted field trials for everyone arrested in areas where senior figures from Gazan terrorist organizations were eliminated. In some of these field trials, some of those accused of espionage were executed, while others remain under investigation. The sources did not specify the number of Gazans executed but claimed that since the escalation of assassinations against Hamas figures in its political, military, and governmental branches, Hamas has intensified its security measures.

Here's how Israel used the ceasefire for information gathering:

Reuters sources on the ground told the newspaper that during the latest ceasefire, which lasted 58 days, Israel used numerous collaborators in the Strip to refresh its intelligence target bank, particularly regarding Hamas field commanders who had survived several assassination attempts during the war.

In addition, Israel exploited the ceremonies Hamas held during the release of hostages to track senior figures and vehicles belonging to Gazan terrorist organizations. For example, in the elimination of Jamil al-Wadiya, the commander of the Al-Shuja’iyya Battalion, field commanders from Hamas’s military wing who participated in the hostage release ceremonies were also killed.

Some Hamas and military wing senior figures were eliminated while staying in tents at refugee shelters or when they returned to their homes—where they were killed along with family members—or while sleeping in apartments that didn’t belong to them. The sources clarified that the main reason for this was that Gazan terrorist organizations lost a significant portion of their tunnels, which were designated for command and control, forcing them to operate above ground.

Reports listed some of the recent eliminations in the Strip:

Walla contributed to this article.