Channel 12 News analyst Ohad Hemo offered an assessment Tuesday evening of the recent conduct by the Hamas terror organization, particularly in relation to the return of the bodies of hostages. He described the group’s actions as part of a “cynical and diabolical theater” serving its strategic objectives.
“There’s a clear pattern in Hamas’s actions,” Hemo said. “On one hand, they issue statements claiming they’re doing everything possible to locate the hostages’ bodies. On the other hand, we see a truly cynical performance - deliberate delays, staged discoveries of bodies in front of cameras. Everything is orchestrated.”
According to Hemo, Hamas is walking a “very fine line,” both regarding the return of bodies and its repeated violations of the ceasefire. “Hamas assumes that President Donald Trump does not want the war to resume, and their excessive self-confidence stems from that. As long as they possess the bodies, they remain relevant. This is their way of buying time and entrenching themselves further in the Gaza Strip.”
Hemo added that Hamas is seeking to delay the transition to the second phase of the deal, which would address the issue of disarmament - something he believes the group “will do everything to avoid.”