Despite a week full of drama, the sixth exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian terrorists went through as originally scheduled on Saturday.
As has been the case with each previous hostage release, Hamas used the handover of the hostages to the International Red Cross as a moment of propaganda theater.
Behind a table where some absurd paperwork between an ICRC representative and a Hamas terrorist was being signed, was a large poster of Jerusalem with the words in Hebrew, Arabic and English: , "O Jerusalem, Bear Witness: We Are Your Soldiers."
Next to it, another sign that, in reference to US President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Gaza’s residents, read, “No immigration except to Jerusalem.”
Below was a third sign listing the sites of Hamas' October 7 invasion, emblazoned with the words: “We Crossed Over Swiftly.” A fourth displayed a picture of hostage Matan Zangauker, whose mother has been vitriolic in her criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, next to a photograph of her and an hourglass with the caption underneath: “Time is running out.”
This propaganda theater is a study in the art of self-deception
Each of these signs, meant to project strength, instead exposes Hamas’ desperation. "We Crossed Over Swiftly" boasts of their October 7 attack, yet today, Gaza lies in ruins, its people left with nothing. "O Jerusalem, Bear Witness" speaks of conquest, yet Hamas cannot even hold onto its own territory. The sign featuring Matan Zangauker’s mother aims to sow fear, but it only highlights Hamas' dwindling leverage.
This is not the message of a triumphant force. It is the empty bluster of a movement grasping for relevance, clinging to symbols because reality has turned against it.
Hamas terrorists, clad in full battle regalia—gear they conspicuously never wear in actual combat when they hide behind the skirts of women and under the cribs of babies—strut across the stage like victorious dragon slayers, threatening to march on Jerusalem.
Who are they kidding? Who are they fooling?
Gaza lies in ruins, utterly destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of Gazans walked from the south back to their towns in the north, only to find nothing left. Hamas' military formation has been shattered; all that remains are pickup trucks with gunmen brandishing rifles—a shadow of the force it wielded on October 7.
Meanwhile, a once unthinkable proposal is now on the table: relocating Gazans. An idea that, given the chance, many Gazans would likely seize to escape the hellhole—Trump’s words—that is Gaza.
And yet, Hamas releases three hostages—three out of the 254 they abducted—under banners proclaiming their intention to march on Jerusalem, just as they “crossed over swiftly” on October 7.
What self-delusion? If this is a victory for the Palestinian people, then the mind boggles at what a defeat looks like.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, visiting Israel this week, has urged the Arab world—if they oppose Trump’s relocation plan—to present a better alternative. Egypt is expected to unveil a proposal at a Riyadh summit later this month, and it’s a safe bet that Hamas will not be part of it. In his meetings with Egyptian, Jordanian, Saudi, and Emirati diplomats, Rubio should emphasize something they all understand but won’t say aloud: Hamas, not Israel, is their true enemy.
Who is responsible for mainstreaming the idea of Gazans relocating to Egypt, Jordan, or even Saudi Arabia? Hamas. Who incites unrest in Arab capitals? Hamas. Who jeopardizes the key Arab government’s ties with the US? Hamas.
The same Hamas that, for the last few Saturdays, parades as a victor has brought only disaster upon its people. Now, it is also endangering Egypt and Jordan’s US alliances—as well as Saudi Arabia’s dream of a security partnership with Washington.
Hamas’ pathetic theater and its ridiculous posters do not fool anyone. Their implied threats of marching on Jerusalem do not scare Israelis but rather reinforce a national determination to prevent it. Their highlighting where they entered Israel does not intimidate Israelis but rather guarantees that every step will be taken to ensure it never happens again.
Hamas’ propaganda display is not a show of strength but rather the convulsions of a movement weakened tremendously, grasping at straws for significance.