Hamas Strategy: Maximize Palestinian Civilian Casualties

Hamas achieved a huge success on October 17, when an uncertain number of Palestinian civilians died in an explosion at Gaza’s Al-Ahli Hospital. Much of the world erupted in outrage against Israel when Hamas blamed it and said that more than 500 civilians had been killed. This was one of only two major successes for Hamas in this war so far, the first being the surprise attack that kicked the conflict off, in which Hamas killed over 1,300 Israelis, raped many women, and took over 150 hostages.

Let’s set aside for a moment what actually happened at the hospital. First, consider this strange question: How can mass death of Palestinian civilians count as a Hamas success? The answer is that Hamas’s strategy hinges on producing such casualties and blaming Israel for them. This helps clarify why Hamas started this war.

About the Author

Douglas J. Feith

Douglas J. Feith is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute and served in the George W. Bush administration as undersecretary of defense for policy.

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Hamas achieved a huge success on October 17, when an uncertain number of Palestinian civilians died in an explosion at Gaza’s Al-Ahli Hospital. Much of the world erupted in outrage against Israel when Hamas blamed it and said that more than 500 civilians had been killed. This was one of only two major successes for Hamas in this war so far, the first being the surprise attack that kicked the conflict off, in which Hamas killed over 1,300 Israelis, raped many women, and took over 150 hostages.

Let’s set aside for a moment what actually happened at the hospital. First, consider this strange question: How can mass death of Palestinian civilians count as a Hamas success? The answer is that Hamas’s strategy hinges on producing such casualties and blaming Israel for them. This helps clarify why Hamas started this war.