On October 7, 2023, Hamas loosed armed insurgents into Israel from the Gaza Strip. They murdered about 1,200 Israelis and others in the most brutal ways imaginable. The dead were mostly civilians, and they included men, women, children, infants, and the elderly. During the attacks, Hamas took 251 persons of various nationalities hostage. [1]
Why do terrorists take hostages? There may be any number of reasons. These present themselves to be obvious to any observer with a brain that works.
Terrorists take hostages to use as a bargaining chip. The families of the hostages are desperate. They want their loved ones released at any cost. Humanitarian groups, the press, the UN, organized protest groups – you name it – all pressure Israel to agree to anything in order to bring about the release of the hostages. While the desire to bring the hostages home is understandable, giving in to the demands of the terrorists only plays into their hands. It motivates the terrorists to take more hostages in the future.
Terrorists like Hamas commit atrocities and take hostages to terrorize their enemies. It is what they do. They are TERRORISTS. Now that some of the hostages have been released, we are learning that Hamas brutalized them while they were in captivity.
The BBC reports that the female hostages were starved, intimidated, kept in underground tunnels without outside contact, and used as forced labor. [2]
CBS states that medical examination of the released hostages found that they were suffering from PTSD, kept from knowing about their loved ones who were also being held hostage, starved, physically abused, psychologically abused, sexually abused, denied medical care, branded, and kept in restraints. [3]
Reuters relates that the hostages, including minors, were burned and branded. Female hostages were sexually abused. The hostages were tortured, physically and psychologically abused, starved and medically neglected. [4]
The knowledge that the hostages are being mistreated and dying in captivity increases the pressure to agree to concessions to obtain their immediate release – regardless of the long-term adverse consequences to the safety of the Israeli people. Hamas mistreats their prisoners because terrorists are vile, immoral criminals.
Hamas is a terrorist organization. They want to divide and discourage Israel. They want to make Israel’s government appear to be heartlessly ignoring the plight of the hostages and their families. They want to do everything they can to turn the nations of the world against Israel.
They are TERRORISTS. It is what they do. They know they don’t stand a chance in a stand-up fight with the IDF, so they hit below the belt – in ways that are the epitome of evil.
The charter of Hamas calls for the destruction of Israel. It is their ultimate goal, and they will not stop – will not stop – until they have achieved it. Or, until they die trying.
It is a humanitarian tragedy, for the Palestinian people, for Israel, and for the entire world. We support President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to end this mess. Let us pray that he can get it done without allowing Hamas to continue in its terrible barbarity.
[2]
Ibid.
