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My year of horror in Gaza Innocent Gazans are paying the price for Hamas

'It seemed as if we were fleeing from one death to another.' Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images

'It seemed as if we were fleeing from one death to another.' Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images


October 4, 2024   6 mins

I have lived in Gaza all my life, and for 30 years have been a journalist, which means I have witnessed a lot of violent conflict. But when I woke up to the booms of rockets being fired towards Israel on October 7 last year, this attack felt different. I went on to the roof of my house in Al-Bureij, in the middle of the Gaza Strip. From there, I could see armed men riding motorbikes through the wrecked security fence and entering Israel.

Immediately, I felt afraid. This was the first time that a Palestinian force had invaded our neighbour to kidnap and kill, and I expected Israel would respond very strongly. Ever since, I have known I could die at any time: walking on the street, sitting in my house, visiting my relatives. You can be talking to someone in the morning, and then you hear in the evening they are dead. Every day we pay the price for October 7, and this has a terrible psychological impact.

At first, many people here were happy about the attack: because of Israel’s siege of Gaza and its control of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, as well as previous conflicts. However, many have changed their minds. Even those who once voted for Hamas have turned against them, because they blame them for the disaster we have experienced.

I believe Hamas thought the war would end after one or two months, and that after that, the international community would intervene and stop it: they never imagined it would still be going on after a year. At the same time, Israel has not won the war. It has not destroyed Hamas or killed all its members. Its fighters are still here, refusing to run up the white flag, still making statements saying they intend to resist. 

Hamas members aren’t seen very much in the streets, because there they risk being spotted from the air and targeted. But they appear, sometimes at night, and then they disappear: some are living in the tunnels, some in houses, others in tents. They come out to beat people they say are thieves with sticks and iron bars, and they punish their enemies, sometimes by killing them. They are still killing Israelis.

They conceal every piece of information. They never confirm the names of those who have been martyred, and they don’t say whether any of their leaders have been killed. 

As for myself, I was a Leftist before I became a journalist. I have never supported Hamas, nor any kind of violence between Palestinians and Israelis. I have said all my life we should go for coexistence: I believe this land can absorb all its people, and that we can live with each other, side by side. Unfortunately, believing we need peace does not make it happen.

Two days after the attack began, my wife, our three children and I left our house because the neighbourhood was being shelled. We went to stay with one of my brothers, but after another two days it became too dangerous there, so at 2am one morning we took shelter in a UN school. It was extremely overcrowded and random shells were falling into the yard. When it got light we moved again, to a relative’s house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where we stayed for 47 days, until the truce began in November and we returned home.

After the ceasefire, the war restarted even more violently than before. We always monitor the website of Israel’s civilian coordinators, and on 23 December, they issued a map of the areas they said people had to leave. Our house was on it, and we were told we had to evacuate immediately. We stayed four days with some relatives before the Israelis issued a revised map, forcing us to flee yet again.

This time, along with countless thousands of other displaced persons, we went to Rafah, in the south. It’s not very far, but the journey took four hours, and all that time we were scared of possible airstrikes. My brother and I rented two small rooms for ourselves and our families — 12 people in all, with no bathroom or kitchen. Rafah was supposed to be safe, but the area we were in was bombed several times. The weather was wet and cold and the roof dilapidated. It did not block the rain, and the walls were cracked and damp. But we had no choice, and it was better than living in tents. We found wood to make a fire and that became our kitchen.

We had been there nearly two months when we heard the Israelis were withdrawing from Al-Bureij, so we felt safe enough to go home. But it wasn’t long before the Israelis again declared it a “red zone” — so once more we fled, this time back to Nuseirat. There we heard violent explosions nearby and Israeli tanks on the move. We were very afraid, but there was nothing we could do. Everywhere had become unsafe. It seemed as if we were fleeing from one death to another. In July, we returned to our house one final time and stayed there. Somewhat miraculously, it had not been damaged. I would guess that by now, fewer than 30% of Gaza’s buildings remain standing.

The life we lead now is inhuman. I suppose we are lucky: in some areas, there is only running water for a short time every 10 days, whereas we usually get it one day in three. But we have to delay everything until it comes. Having enough water to be able to wash or take a shower is bliss. There are things you don’t realise how much you need until they are unavailable: like shampoo. We have no electricity, so after dark we depend on battery lights, and to charge our phones I have to pay a neighbour who has a solar panel. It is very hard to get gas in order to cook.

“The life we lead now is inhuman.”

Hamas may not have been eliminated, but it is dangerous for their police to be on the streets, so there is anarchy. The distribution of most kinds of food is controlled by criminal gangs. They have guns, and steal imported food from those who receive it, mostly from charitable donors in places such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Because there are no police to stop them, they hijack trucks and steal their contents, and two or three days later it appears in the markets at inflated prices. The price of many items, such as vegetables and eggs, has roughly tripled.

Meanwhile, there are no working banks or ATMs. I am still a journalist, working for a newspaper based in the West Bank, although I cannot travel anywhere to report. I am still receiving a salary, but the only way I can get cash is from money changers, profiteers who take more than 20% as their commission.

Less than 30% of Gaza’s buildings have survived the last year (Credit: Hasan Jber)

Yet set beside the fate of others, these are merely inconveniences. We lost my nephew, Muntezar, in Rafah: when we left he stayed on because of his job with the electricity company, which had promised him an increased salary if he remained. He wasn’t a fighter but an ordinary worker who had two little boys. I was close to him, and he had no interest in politics, but his house was hit and he was killed, alongside two of his wife’s brothers. My wife’s sister was killed with four of her children and her grandson, in a strike on an apartment building that killed more than 30 people in Nuseirat near the beginning of the war.

One of my wife’s brothers perished from an airstrike along with his two sons; another with his wife, two sons and three grandsons. You expect you may lose someone all the time: any time your phone rings you rush to answer it, in case it is someone telling you another relative has been killed.

One afternoon three weeks ago, there was an airstrike on the building opposite our house, which is just eight metres away. We were sitting in our downstairs living room when there was an enormous blast. All our windows were destroyed, and we were covered in smoke, broken glass, and thick, black dust. I couldn’t see, I could only hear, and my family were screaming and crying. At last, some neighbours came and took us outside and we sat in the open air in order to breathe.

We’ve been trying to fix the damage ever since, but we have no glass to replace the windows. We don’t know what will happen during the winter, when the nights begin to get cold. We had to throw away lots of food because it had been polluted by dust and chemicals from the rockets.

Like most people in Gaza, we long for the war to stop, and try to return to normality. But no one seems to be applying any pressure to make this happen. Israel doesn’t want to finish this war, because that would mean its Prime Minister would have to go to court to face charges of corruption, and his government would collapse. The fanatical Right-wing politicians in his cabinet would also lose power. 

But Hamas will not surrender. Their religion means they believe that if they are killed, they will go to paradise, and all the time they say they will not stop. They are waiting, hoping that something will change. For a long time they waited for Hezbollah to enter the war, and now they have; they were waiting for Nasrallah, though now he is dead. They are waiting for help from Iran and from Yemen, though no one has any idea what will happen when it comes. 

All I know is that while Hamas waits, we continue to pay the price.


Hasan Jber is a journalist in Gaza and writer for the Al-Ayyam newspaper in the West Bank.


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David McKee
David McKee
2 months ago

This piece has the ring of truth. In which case, Mr. Jber is a very brave man. From what I hear, Hamas takes a dim view of any reportage which does not portray Hamas in a heroic light.

I would be interested to know what the supporters of Israel make of this piece.

Daniel Chalkin
Daniel Chalkin
2 months ago
Reply to  David McKee

Mr Jber is being incredibly brave by describing the hell scape that is Gaza and that is war. He risks retaliation from Hamas by sending this for us to read. He and his family continue to pay the price of those who simply want death and destruction. They did not ask for this. But his voice is that of millions through the ages who have been caught between two warring parties. Until Hamas lay down their arms this will continue – Israel will not, cannot and should not allow another attack like 7th October, and a solution to Gaza must be found that makes sure it doesn’t. My own preference is an international peacekeeping force that allows peaceful government to return, but until the international community seriously engages with the future of the Palestinians, Gaza will continue to be a shell of what it was.

Andrew F
Andrew F
2 months ago
Reply to  Daniel Chalkin

Problem is that international peacekeeping force did not stop Hezbollah crossing Litani River and attacking Israel with missiles.
What would it be any different in Gaza.

Stephanie Surface
Stephanie Surface
2 months ago
Reply to  David McKee

I still don’t understand why they couldn’t create refugee camps outside this horror of Gaza. Either creating temporary accommodations on the Egyptian side or even on the Westbank. Turkey had refugee camps of millions of people during the Syrian war. Supposedly it hosted 63% of all registered Syrian refugees. Israel could then dismantle Hamas’ huge tunnel network. It might be a logistic nightmare, but the rich Muslim neighbours could afford to sponsor such humanitarian endeavour. Hamas terrorists might get out, but they couldn’t transport stashes of rockets and weapons. Maybe at the checkpoints, this could be somehow controlled.

Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith
2 months ago

Because Egypt would not allow Palestinians into their country despite International law obligations to do so. That is the same Egypt that is supposedly at peace with Israel, whilst rearming Hamas throughout via hundreds of tunnels under the border they will not allow Palestinian civilians to cross.
The problem is nobody really cares about people like Hasan Jber.

John Tyler
John Tyler
2 months ago

Yes, but the ’rich Muslim neighbours’ have always refused to help the people. It suits them to leave the problem to Israel at the same time as facilitating terrorism and creating propaganda from an overwhelmingly false narrative.

LindaMB
LindaMB
1 month ago

Considering what happened to Jordan, an attempted coup with the assassination of the PM and the attempted assassination of the King (Black September), when they let in Palestinian refugees and Lebanon who accepted those fleeing Jordan- civil war & Hezbollah now in control of part of the country, you can understand why their Middle Eastern brothers are not anxious to give them refuge. The West is either completely stupid or criminally naive not to worry what accepting thousands of Palestinian refugees will do to the stability of its’ nations. It won’t end well.

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
2 months ago
Reply to  David McKee

More to the point, where are the wailing voices of the supporters of Palestinian Liberation?

Is it dawning on them that Hamas are not the brave freedom-fighters they thought they were supporting?

I doubt it. Not a single debate I’ve had with a single pro-Palestinian since 7/10 has revealed even the faintest glimmer of logic, let alone humanity, coming from that ‘side’. They’re high on rage.

George K
George K
2 months ago

Incredibly sad and entirely hopeless. The moment Israel withdraws from Gaza there will be celebration in the streets along with glorious Hamas fighters shooting in the sky and women hysterically screaming Allahu Akbar and rocket launching into Israel the very next day and… the whole cycle repeating itself ad infinitum.

Stephanie Surface
Stephanie Surface
2 months ago
Reply to  George K

Yes, it seems hopeless…

Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith
2 months ago
Reply to  George K

Whilst it is good to hear that at least some Gazan’s realise it is Hamas that is responsible for their plight, they still don’t realise that Iran is the true villain of the piece. The only hope is that the West might finally be working out that appeasing the mullahs in Iran is what has led to the situation now being faced in the region. Sadly I think we are going to need to wait for Trump to come in and really stand up to them.

Bret Larson
Bret Larson
2 months ago

Unfortunately there are no solutions. The Israelis can’t stop because then they normalize Oct 7. Hamas can’t stop because to do so they would lose their reason to be. Unfortunately the suffering of the civilian population is their main tactic. Who’s to blame? Well theres alot of blame to go around.

Those who allowed and supported the Hamas government have a lot to answer for.

Milton Gibbon
Milton Gibbon
2 months ago

Harrowing article but I am assuming the author is fighting-age and has not taken up arms. He needs to do so. Hamas needs to be stood up to by its own citizens if they really want change. Otherwise this is all “woe is me” futility waiting for a miracle. First the international community, then Nazrallah’s Hezbollah, Iran, Yemen, what next the USA or China? Unfortunately he refers to a “siege” of Gaza before October 7th – you don’t normally let the besieged come and work in your country – which elides what Israel is doing now (a real siege/occupation) with the status quo before. Also stating that Israel “controls” Al-Aqsa is false. Israeli police use force on fringe elements of their own people who try to undermine Arab (Jordanian) juristiction of the Temple Mount. The Israeli state, even with Netanyahu and his radicals in power, uphold Israel not controling it. Using Netanyahu’s corruption (fact check, true) as a reason for why Israel is prosecuting the war is actually false: it was left wing politicians who were egging Netanyahu on to invade southern Lebanon so that internal refugees from northern Israel could return to their homes. It was the Israeli left, who a few months prior to October 7th were threatening to bring Netanyahu’s coallition down and threatened to refuse to serve in the military, who are now both prosecuting and ramping up the war. It was the part where he describes Hamas casualties as martyrs that I thought this chap isn’t really for peace. Until he gets it in his head that Hamas are worse than the Israelis for his own people and actually opposes them – as was seen early in the war with videos of old women condemning Hamas (I dont want to think too much about what this meant for them and their families) – it doesn’t bode well. The men of Palestine need to stand up and be counted.

Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
2 months ago
Reply to  Milton Gibbon

It is intriguing that even today, Hamas has nothing to fear from their own people, fellow Gazans, that they might rise up and overthrow their harsh overlords. Instead, they say, “woe is me” and do nothing, while their land is taken over by a terrorist faction.

Anton van der Merwe
Anton van der Merwe
2 months ago

There is no alternative but for Israel to continue fighting until Hamas and Hezbollah are defeated. They will have to attack Iran now that they have, like Hamas and Hezbollah, attacked Israel. The alternative approach of diplomacy has been tried repeated for decades and gas failed. It can only succeed when Palestinian decide to allow Israel to exist. Until then they will have to endure extreme misery. Eventually they will accept Israel.

Buck Rodgers
Buck Rodgers
2 months ago

I get that Netanyahu faces some uncomfortable questions if/when this calms down. But surely the fact that his country is surrounded and outnumbered by fanatical enemies at least contributes to his continuing hostilities?

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
2 months ago

“because that would mean its Prime Minister would have to go to court to face charges of corruption”
I actually was sympathetic to Hasan Jber until he wrote this

Addie Shog
Addie Shog
2 months ago
Reply to  UnHerd Reader

Agree to a point but he is only repeating what he is being told by every Western media outlet and many inside Israel itself.

Bullfrog Brown
Bullfrog Brown
2 months ago

As sad as it is, it is a war. Hamas have spent 20 years and huge sums of money building an underground war labyrinth, all the while ignoring the safety of their own people.
Hamas has no care for it’s people, only for it’s fighters.
It is recognised that whilst innocent people are killed and lives ruined, the number of innocent deaths compared to combatants is low in warfare terms.
The Allies didn’t care about loss of german civilian lives when trying to defeat the Nazis .. Hamas is today’s Nazi power.

Andrew Vanbarner
Andrew Vanbarner
2 months ago
Reply to  Bullfrog Brown

The Allies cared somewhat. The nickname “Bomber” for Bomber Harris was not meant as a compliment; Americans like Le May and Doolittle often disagreed with their commanders on civilian bombings. And many of our pilots were horrified at their own acts – particularly the apocalyptic firebombings of Rotterdam, Mannheim, and other cities.
The Allies were moreso targeting German railroads, factories, and oil facilities than cities, but civilian neighborhoods were often very close to railyards, factories, and fuel depots. There are quite a few Americans of German descent, and many of the British thought Bomber Harris excessive. Hence his nickname.
But you’re correct. Germany would’ve fought longer and harder without our bombings of their railyards and factures.
Hamas cares for little other than the expulsion of Jews from Judea. Civilian deaths for them are either military victories, if they’re Jews, or PR victories, if they’re Palestinians. Hezbollah is much the same.
There did seem to be greater care by the IDF to avoid civilian deaths in prior conflicts. But it may be that the gloves have come off now – the savage barbarism of Hamas’ attack guaranteed that outcome. Punishing all of Gaza severely is tragic, but perhaps necessary, so that these warlike, pitiless terror movements are removed from public support and consideration.

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
2 months ago
Reply to  Bullfrog Brown

Exactly. With links to actual Nazism at its root: https://www.meforum.org/photos-show-palestinian-at-concentration-camp

Bullfrog Brown
Bullfrog Brown
2 months ago

Lets get two facts out … Hasan Jber writes “At first, many people here were happy about the attack: because of Israel’s siege of Gaza and its control of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem”.
WRONG ..
1. Egypt has a border with Gaza, not just Israel.
2. Whilst Al Aqsa is in Jerusalem, Since 1948, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound has been under the custodianship of the Hashemite rulers of Jordan, administered through the Jerusalem Waqf, the current version of which was instituted by Jordan after its conquest and occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the 1948 war.

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
2 months ago
Reply to  Bullfrog Brown

Exactly, but it seems Gazans, if not Palestinians don’t have access to facts, only propaganda. ‘‘Twas ever thus. The Mufti Husseini managed to incite several massacres of Jews a hundred years ago by claiming Al-Aqsa was being defiled.

Bullfrog Brown
Bullfrog Brown
2 months ago

Simple solution … release the hostages ! That should be the first thing any politician, in any country, should say. The remaining hostages, if alive, are of 5 religions and over 20 nationalities.

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
2 months ago
Reply to  Bullfrog Brown

Exactly. There are 1 year old babies languishing in Hamas terror tunnels still. If, as you say, they are even alive at this point. https://stories.bringthemhomenow.net/
Hamas is an evil the world should expunge.

Colin Elliott
Colin Elliott
2 months ago
Reply to  Bullfrog Brown

They have no answer to counter that, so the subject simply isn’t mentioned. By Jber. By the BBC.

Bullfrog Brown
Bullfrog Brown
2 months ago

truly sad now that I have read the whole article .. for 20 years Israel vacated Gaza, which has a border with Egypt. And this is what Qatar and Iran have funded .. is it not time to deal with these two evil countries.

Harry Phillips
Harry Phillips
2 months ago

What’s the issue with Al Aqsa mosque being under Israeli control?

Muslims are still permitted access to it and it has retained its function as a mosque, unlike some of the major Christian, Jewish and say Zoroastrian sites that have fallen under Muslim control – Hagia Sofia being one example. Israel is the location of sites important in a number of religions, and they manage fairly well.

The author might ask himself what would happen if the area was under Muslim control.

The situation the author describes is lamentable, and many would be happy to see such presumably reasonable people come to the fore across the whole Middle East.

Andrew F
Andrew F
2 months ago
Reply to  Harry Phillips

But Al Aqsa mosque is NOT under Israel control.

Billy Bob
Billy Bob
2 months ago
Reply to  Harry Phillips

The area was under Muslim control until the late 40’s. It was much more peaceful then too

Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
2 months ago
Reply to  Billy Bob

No it wasn’t.

UnHerd Reader
UnHerd Reader
2 months ago
Reply to  Billy Bob

What area are you talking about? If the area that now constitutes Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, it was under the control of the British who were given a mandate after the first World War. I would hardly call this Muslim control. What’s more the British were constantly having to contend with the likes of Hitler’s pal the Mufti riling up the Muslim population against the Jews on spurious excuses like defending Al Aqsa and instigating riots and massacres. You really ought to read some history books.

Herb Saperstein
Herb Saperstein
2 months ago

This journalist writes, “At first, many people here were happy about the attack: because of Israel’s siege of Gaza and its control of the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem”. First, before October 7, there was no siege. Second, Israel does not control the Al-Aqsa mosque. Despite the fact that the mosque was built over the site of the Jewish temple, for Jews the holiest site in Jerusalem, Israel gave control of the mosque to Jordan. And the figure he gives for the buildings left standing in Gaza, less than 30%, comes straight from Hamas. The UN, an organization very biased against Israel, says that about 20% of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed and about 7% more have bern badly damaged.
What’s more, when he says that Israel doesn’t want the war to end, that is simply absurd. This war would have ended immediately if Hamas had surrendered. It can end the war any time by surrendering.
This war is no doubt tragic for people on both sides, but the responsibility for the war is entirely on Hamas and the majority of Palestinians who supported them. Hamas has openly declared that its mission is to destroy Israrl and kill all the Jews. israel has now understood that for them this war is existential. That is why they are now fighting Hezbollah and the Houthis and will soon be fighting Iran, the head of the snake.

John Tyler
John Tyler
2 months ago

A brave man pinning a target to his back by telling the truth. Respect!

Jon Dawson
Jon Dawson
2 months ago

Thank you for this article. It is so terribly sad.

Andrew F
Andrew F
2 months ago

I have not even read article but just tittle is a lie.
Ghazans are not innocent, they voted for Hamas and applauded its attacks on Israel.
No different from Germany in ww2.
Both British and USA bombed German cities to the end (remember Drezden?).
Israel is supposed to be the only country ignore attacks on its territory.

Colin Elliott
Colin Elliott
2 months ago

“Israel doesn’t want to finish this war, because that would mean its Prime Minister would have to go to court to face charges of corruption”.
I cannot say that is untrue, but Israel is a democracy, so Netanyahu can assuredly lose power if he does something wrong. In contrast, I suspect the current leaders of Hamas are those who have most guns and fewest scruples in using them, and people like Hasan Jber has zero influence.
However, he makes no mention of the hostages. If they were released and Hamas leaders stopped firing rockets at Israeli citizens, I’m sure that the latter would want Netanyahu to end the war, and pressure from the USA would become irresistible.
Mind you, Israel might want a guarantee that someone in Gaza doesn’t set about appropriating the building materials which will then start flowing, accompanied by many more rockets from Iran, and then starting it all over again.

hasim veliju
hasim veliju
2 months ago

I already know this website is nothing more than a colony for deranged neocons lamenting the twin hydras of Islam and “wokeism” destroying Western civilization, but this comment section is particularly funny to me because this author went out of his way to condemn Hamas extensively and pin most of the suffering in Gaza on them rather than the rogue Israeli government killing his relatives. And guess what? It still wasn’t enough. This comment section is still full of people picking apart his arguments and taking issue with minor sentences, trying anything in their power to justify why this man’s relatives deserve to die. You really have to wonder what’s the point then of trying to impress people who want you dead. Even Palestinians who don’t sympathize with Hamas apparently deserve death because, in the words of these commenters, “they aren’t doing enough.” We know that nothing will ever be enough of course. Palestinians in their eyes are nothing more than a stain to be wiped out. All the political discourse on top of that is dressing.

Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
2 months ago
Reply to  hasim veliju

Hmm …. ?

James A
James A
2 months ago
Reply to  hasim veliju

Hmm, i think you’re seeing what you need to see to justify your priors. From what i can see the comments section is largely respectful.

J Sands
J Sands
2 months ago

Yes, war as hell and the description from the writer affirms it. But the Palestinians elected Hamas to govern them. They knew what Hamas was, and they knew they could expect bloodshed and murder from them. This war is the result. In this article, there is no mention of the hostages, or the brutalities that took place in Israel on 10/7. It must be mentioned that Palestinian civilians participated in these massacres and in the taking of these hostages- they kept hostages in their homes! To say that the war is prolonged because of Netanyahu‘s personal interests is to ignore the culpability of the Palestinians and the real peril faced by Israel by its ultimate enemy, Iran.

Samuel Ross
Samuel Ross
2 months ago

I’m wondering if this author voted for Hamas, and if he now regrets his vote ….

Spencer Dugdale
Spencer Dugdale
2 months ago

“At first, many people here were happy about the attack: because of Israel’s siege of Gaza…”
What siege? Thousands of Gazans worked in Israel and the very ill were treated in Israeli hospitals. Also, there is a border with Egypt. Why no mention of that?
“Israel doesn’t want to finish this war, because that would mean its Prime Minister would have to go to court to face charges of corruption” Israel, the entire population, want to keep the war going?
Biased ‘journalism’.

James A
James A
2 months ago

So sad to contemplate the horrors faced by a man trying to raise a family in the midst of a war zone.
Here’s hoping he and his loved ones get through.

Phil Re
Phil Re
2 months ago

Innocent Gazans are paying a huge price, but it isn’t only for Hamas that they’re paying it.
The Guardian, the BBC, Human Rights Watch, the UN Human Rights Council—all were indispensable to Hamas’s strategy for Gaza. Hamas immediately continued hostilities when Israel withdrew on 12 September 2005. A concerted effort to blame Israel for the continued hostilities was always a crucial component of Hamas’s program of human sacrifice.