Hamas is, as are most organizations formulated to eradicate Israel and Jews, a radical “religious” cult. The Hamas Charter serves as its “bible” and is supplemented by numerous documents reflecting rules and regulations that Hamas adherents and Iranian funders follow.
Evidence for this is found in the fact that October was deviant, asymmetrical warfare fueled by cult-driven, misguided “religious” fervor. Allowing live bombs to be assembled and stored under toddlers’ beds in Gaza is but one example of this “religious” depravity. There are many others.
Top-secret Hamas abduction manuals were recovered from the bodies of Hamas members on October 7. Listed in them were tactics to create chaos, intimidate captives, apply electric shocks, and carry out executions and rapes. They contained detailed priority instructions on how to take civilians hostage, bind them by their wrists and ankles, and collect their identification papers. They also included instructions on how to livestream kidnappings.
These were supplemented with information on how to conduct other bloody brutalities and “kill the resisting Israelis,” which they did, in great numbers. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the instructions described “exactly how to kill, torture, how to abduct, how to kidnap...” Plans included detailed instructions on how to sweep schools, synagogues, and youth centers.
The manual lists instructions on operating specific weapons, identifies vulnerabilities in Israeli military equipment, and offers tips on killing with a knife and shows the best places to stab someone, “neck in the collarbone area,” “spine” and “underarms” are highlighted. Their goals were death, destruction, mutilation, and kidnapping.
The abduction manual documents gave both broad guidance, such as which stimulants to take, along with specific village attack information for the invaders. The attackers were to “use them as human shields,” and use “electric shocks” to force compliance.
The hostage-taking manual and Hamas’s own footage gave a fuller picture of the terror group’s plan to take multiple hostages and kill captives who fought back to any degree. The document instructs the attackers to drastically ration food to hostages – leading to long-term starvation – and proves that Hamas was planning to keep hostages in very tight cages for a long period of time. The terrorists hoped to spark a wider insurrection, and just like in extreme cults, they were instructed to fight until the death.
The situation portion of the plan gave exact numbers of which “enemy” forces to expect, the technologies that they had to overcome, and the strength of the Israeli forces.
Hamas has been observing IDF response tactics for a long time before October 7
Hamas had been watching the IDF, timing its Quick Reaction Force (“Three tanks would take three minutes”). This is arguably the most comprehensive top-secret battle attack document ever written for any group. It included tactical command details as well as supervisory command, and was broken down into mission commanders, breach teams, duty teams, mission artillery teams, crossing officers (to direct traffic at the breach points), and monitors. They knew where every speed camera was located and whether those cameras had secondary purposes, along with the location of ground surveillance radar.
The manual is so thorough that it has many strategic scenarios. For example, unit duties: “In case the group succeeds in occupying the kibbutz, the group will approach from street X, then street Y, then the larger intersection where the main gate of the kibbutz is located. This breach crew will then stay at the intersection and secure the intersection and the main kibbutz gate. The first group will open a gap in the fence and attack the kibbutz from the Southwest. The bulk of the platoon will then attack the kibbutz from the main gate, and kill off the regional forces and any other forces, and take control of the area.”
Hamas manuals also gave instructions for GoPro cameras. At least a half-dozen of the terrorists who breached the Gaza border and attacked the Israeli communities had cameras strapped to their bodies, to create more horror for the Israelis. Terrorists today routinely use footage from their attacks for propaganda reasons, and social media has accelerated the trend. The right-wing extremist who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in 2019 livestreamed footage of the attack from a helmet-mounted camera. The Islamic State continues its social media operation that releases videos of beheadings and other atrocities.
The kidnapping plans contained a list of almost 50 steps to be followed, divided into categories: collection, confinement and control, safety, supply (near starvation), communications, publicity (live broadcasting), negotiations, and unforeseen situations.
The abduction manuals were organized into sections. The goal was to prepare Hamas fighters to kill, maim, and hold hostages inside Gaza and even inside Israel, for long durations. The first section is titled “Gathering” and includes instructions on how to take hostages, dead or alive. Section two, “Isolation and control,” instructs attackers how to control the hostages, kill anyone attempting to assist, and prevent captives from escaping. The manual is clear: “Kill all who pose a threat, distract, or disturb.”
Other tactics included creating “chaos” explosives, and drugging and isolating the hostages. Following instructions, Hamas attackers live-streamed the abduction of hostages while holding the Israeli identifying information up to the GoPro camera. Attackers lured civilians out of their protected homes.
No reasonable army operates this way. Only a radical “religiously” motivated group, outside the norm, and therefore a cult, can justify this type of detailed, gruesome attack plan. The only reasonable response is to eliminate the leadership to the degree possible and reprogram the population away from cult thinking.
Dr. Michael J Salamon is a psychologist who specializes in trauma and abuse. He is director of ADC Psychological Services in Netanya and Hewlett, NY, and is on staff at Northwell, New Hyde Park, NY.
Louis H Libin is president of Broadcom cyber security and secure wireless systems, a specialist in public safety and military preparedness, and an adjunct professor at the US Army War College. The views expressed here are his own.