Hamas overwhelmed Israel’s border in October with something like a conventional military maneuver. Now, it acts as a guerrilla force, its fighters often disguised as civilians.

An analysis of battlefield videos released by Hamas and interviews with three Hamas members and scores of Israeli soldiers

Using civilian homes and infrastructure — including medical facilities, U.N. offices and mosques — to conceal fighters, tunnel entrances, booby-traps and ammunition stores;
Ambushing Israeli soldiers with small groups of fighters dressed as civilians, as well as using civilians, including children, to act as lookouts;

The video seems to show Hamas fighters, their faces blurred, sitting on patterned mats as they plan the attack. They use pen, paper and a digital tablet to draw simplistic maps detailing where they want to plant a set of roadside mines.
“We ask, O Lord, for the ambush to achieve its goals — let us kill your enemies, the Jews,” the narrator says.

  • @LinkerbaanEnglish
    -5•2 months ago

    Hamas has put their promise to hold elections on paper when a Palestinian state is established as part of the ceasefire deal.

    Hamas likely won’t be a great government party. Resistance groups never really make great peacetime leaders. Just like with the ANC. However they are needed to get to the start of an independent country. The PA sure isn’t making the Palestinians safer.

    Iran would be much more normalized too if we didn’t keep overthrowing their government every few decades. And israel stops assassinating their leaders.

    If we stop meddling eventually a population ejects the wartime party and normalizes as we see with South Africa right now. And that also takes decades but it has to start somewhere. But putting the cart before the horse is not how this works.

      • @LinkerbaanEnglish
        -6•2 months ago

        Recent elections saw the ANC losing ground and other parties now gaining traction. If the Apartheid was still in place we would never reach this stage. That is my point.

        As I said it takes time to rebuild a country from oppression. Cooperation is difficult when the modus operandi was every man for himself for so many years.

        • Flying SquidMEnglish
          5•2 months ago

          Elections are all you think matter? Read the article. Africa is one of the most unequal countries on the planet.

          But sure, the ANC is losing ground. Other than that, it’s just fine and black people have no problems anymore.

          • @LinkerbaanEnglish
            -2•2 months ago

            Yes I am aware the ANC heavily sold out to the Apartheid after winning. Their members took cushy jobs.

            My point is that the ANC is currently starting to lose ground and other parties are rising up.

            Liberation starts with Hamas but it is not necessarily the party that will define Palestine forever. Hamas always loses popularity in peace time.

            • Flying SquidMEnglish
              2•2 months ago

              Yes I am aware the ANC heavily sold out to the Apartheid after winning. Their members took cushy jobs.

              My point is that the ANC is currently starting to lose ground and other parties are rising up.

              Which means that, as you said, South Africa is “normalized?” And that’s the sort of normalized you foresee for Palestine?

              Liberation starts with Hamas but it is not necessarily the party that will define Palestine forever. Hamas always loses popularity in peace time.

              Yes, because Palestinians also know that Hamas is not good, just helpful at the moment. You even seem to be admitting it tacitly by saying that, so I’m not even sure what your point is anymore.