Micha Kobi, former head of the Shabak investigation department. Photo courtesy of Micha Kobi
In an interview with Maariv, anti-terrorism expert Micha Kobi, a former senior member of the Israeli security service Shin Bet, stressed the difficulties Israel faces in returning hostages taken by Hamas. According to him, none of the Hamas leaders has complete information about the whereabouts of all the hostages, The Jerusalem Post reports.
“No one in Hamas knows where all the hostages are. Individuals may have information about one or two, but that’s it,” Kobi explained. He added that the group’s decentralised structure makes coordination difficult: “The Hamas headquarters is not really functioning right now, but there are still local units operating within individual units, even at the neighbourhood level.”
Challenging Hamas and controlling humanitarian aid
Kobi also stressed that Hamas has full control over the distribution of humanitarian aid, turning resources into a tool of control. “As soon as a humanitarian convoy with food arrives in Gaza, Hamas takes control and resells the goods to the residents at inflated prices,” Kobi said. “The people of Gaza, who have no choice, become economically dependent on Hamas.”
The expert believes that humanitarian aid should be distributed directly to residents, without the group’s involvement. “If we take control of the distribution of humanitarian aid, the residents will be less dependent on Hamas,” Kobi said. He described the harsh methods of control, including the beating of civilians during food distribution. In his opinion, overcoming the population’s dependence on Hamas is the key to restoring normalcy in the region.
Recommendations for stabilising the situation
Among the possible solutions, Kobi mentioned the establishment of a military authority in Gaza to provide security and local government independent of Hamas. He also stressed the need to block smuggling routes, including the Philadelphia corridor, which is used to bring weapons and funding to Gaza. “This is a key point to control, because Hamas receives resources through the corridor to strengthen its combat capabilities.”
In conclusion, the expert expressed confidence that effective actions by Israel could significantly weaken Hamas. “If done correctly, Hamas can be completely eliminated as a fighting force in a year or two,” he concluded.
According to him, the only way to stabilise the situation is to deprive Hamas of economic and humanitarian power, which will allow the local population to regain control and ensure peace in the region.
