IDF fighters located a document detailing what appears to be Hamas’s instructions for psychological warfare against the Israeli public, according to News12 political reporter Amit Segal. The document was discovered in an important strategic location in the Gaza Strip, in an area visited by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and it appears to have been written by a senior Hamas official.
The strategic guidelines document orders the continued distribution of photos and videos of Israeli hostages, because they create psychological pressure on the Netanyahu government. The senior Hamas official also stressed that everything must be done to increase the psychological pressure on Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, whom Hamas considers the most vulnerable among Netanyahu’s ministers.
Two other Hamas strategic points: encourage the argument of the Israeli left that Netanyahu was responsible for the October 7, 2023 failures; and refute the right-wing narrative that only increased ground attacks will eventually bring back the hostages.
מה חושבים בחמאס על מה שקורה בישראל ומה הם רוצים לחולל? מסמך שנתפס במקום שבו שהה סינוואר מגלה: pic.twitter.com/yfGLoYtiT2
— עמית סגל Amit Segal (@amit_segal) January 29, 2024
The document was discovered in an underground location where the IDF knows Sinwar had been only recently, which supports the view in Israel that the Hamas leadership is current on events in Israel and knows just what to do to use this knowledge to manipulate political action across the border.
The IDF estimates that the Hamas leadership, which apparently surrounds itself with hostages, is on the run and constantly moving from one underground complex to another, in the tunnels under the southern Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, at least one leader of the aggressive anti-Netanyahu campaign to bring the hostages home “now, now, now,” has been mortally injured by the release of the document that makes him look as if, heaven forefend, he has been Yahya Sinwar’s useful idiot.
Former Labor MK Ronen Tzur, who consulted former President Moshe Katzav during his sex abuse trial (Katzav served time), and ran a media smear campaign to block the extradition of another sex abuser, former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer, before becoming Benny Gantz’s political adviser, early Tuesday morning reacted viciously to the useful idiot accusations.
Economics professor and head of the consulting firm TCG Amatzia Samkai tweeted:
A riddle: who issued the following instructions, Sinwar or Ronan Tzur?
1. Distribute photos and videos of the hostages.
2. Do everything to increase the pressure on Gallant.
3. Continue the line that Netanyahu is responsible for what happened.
4. Weaken the perception that the ground operation is the right way to return the hostages.
Samkai answered: “A tough riddle, but in this case the answer is Sinwar.”
Ronen Tzur proved once again that the Israeli left has lost its sense of humor, tweeting back:
“You will be in court soon. You will have to break the family’s savings, hire a lawyer, pay for expenses, and pay compensation for the hate lawsuits. And please don’t try to offer an ‘expression of regret’ and ‘my words were taken out of context.’ Just pay up with your savings. See you later.”
During the heydays of the anti-judicial reform campaign, Ronen Tzur and Shikma Bressler were rumored to be planning a new, left-wing party inspired by former PM Ehud Barak. With the air out of the tires of that vehicle, few in Israeli politics doubt that Tzur is going to try to cash his chips as captain of one team of hostages’ relatives (there’s also a pro-government team) to boost his political dream. With that in mind, the last thing he needed was this document that doesn’t have his name superimposed all over it but might as well.
One social media user reminded us of statements that were made and since deleted by Tzur’s partner in political ambition, Bressler, calling for outright military rebellion against the elected prime minister:
June 9, 2023: A government that won’t obey the High Court of Justice will find itself without an army, Shin Bet, and Mossad.
July 12, 2023: Regarding stopping volunteering for reserve duty, (Netanyahu) you’ve lost your legitimacy and we won’t obey you (a reference to reservist pilots who threatened to stay home).
July 14, 2023: Without us, Israel will remain blind in the Middle East (presumably a reference to the reservist intelligence soldiers’ refusal to serve).
July 24, 2023: Immediate termination of [reserve duty] volunteering.
August 8, 2023: By September, Netanyahu will remain without an army.
לא נשכח ולא נסלח
פושעי קפלן לדין ? pic.twitter.com/bzDwsTryMW— Israel with Trump (@trump_israel) January 30, 2024
You think Yahya Sinwar didn’t read those tweets? I looked it up. The Arabic translation of useful idiots is “albulha’ mufida” – البلهاء مفيدة.
Good slogan for a new party.
