Three hostages received “gift bags” from Hamas militants Photo: EyePress News / Shutterstock Editorial
As part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hamas group, three hostages were released on 19 January: Romy Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher, the latter of whom has Romanian citizenship. But, according to The Times of Israel, even the release process has become a propaganda tool.
Propaganda under the guise of “humanity”
The released women received paper bags with the logo of the Hamas military wing. Inside were photographs taken during their captivity, maps of the Gaza Strip, and so-called “release certificates”. Video footage circulated shows the hostages being forced to pose for photos with the “documents” and smile.
One of the Red Cross representatives signed the documents in Arabic, while Hamas members signed them in English. Analysts believe that these actions are aimed at legitimising the illegal seizure of civilians, giving it the appearance of “legality”.
The reality of captivity
However, behind the scenes of the propaganda, the hostages endured horrific conditions: violence, starvation, physical and psychological abuse. The Israeli army reports that many of the prisoners were sexually assaulted and some were executed.
History repeats itself
Such practices are not new. In 2011, during the exchange of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Hamas forced him to give an interview to Egyptian state television, which was also recorded by members of the group. This interview was used for propaganda purposes.
Hamas is expected to release four more women on Saturday as part of the current truce. Meanwhile, official Israel has called the group’s actions “psychological exploitation” and continues to stress the need to put pressure on the terrorists to return the remaining hostages.
