The Shin Bet and Israel Police published a joint statement this evening (Monday) summarizing the results of the investigation so far into the Hamas massacre of over 1,400 people in southern Israel on October 7, Simchat Torah.
The investigation revealed how Hamas encouraged the murder of men, women, and children of all ages, as well as the taking of hostages back to Gaza.
From the interrogation of six terrorists who were captured in the wake of the massacre, it was discovered that Hamas offered significant financial incentives to anyone who successfully kidnapped an Israeli, with abductors promised $10,000 and a free apartment.
The detainees also stated that "the instructions were to kidnap elderly women and children," and "to clear the houses, and kidnap as many prisoners as possible."
One detainee described how he shot a dog in one of his victims' houses. Another described how he and his fellow terrorists grabbed a 15-year-old girl from her home and took a selfie with their captive before putting her on a motorcycle to Gaza.
One detainee said: "There was a body lying on the floor, I shot her. The commander shouted at me why I was wasting bullets on her body. We finished killing and then before we finished we burned down two houses with their occupants inside."
The Shin Bet said that the interrogations reveal that the terrorist forces that raided the communities of southern Israel received clear and explicit instructions to kill and kidnap civilians including the elderly, women, and children.
In addition, the senior commanders of Hamas hid in bunkers in Gaza while sending their men to kill, be killed, or be captured in Israel.
All the terrorists in their Shin Bet investigations gave detailed information about the morning of the raid and the massacre in the Israeli towns and also provided valuable information that has already been used and will continue be used to attack military targets in the Gaza Strip.
"The security forces of the State of Israel will settle accounts with all the terrorists who participated in the massacre on 7/10," the Shin Bet and police statement concluded.