Gaza Strip (The Palestine Telegraph Newspaper) February 07, 2026 – Multiple credible news organisations report that Hamas has employed tactics placing military operations amid civilian populations, leading to casualties amplified for political effect in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Israeli Defense Forces documentation and UN findings highlight rocket launches and tunnels near schools and hospitals, contributing to deaths publicised by Hamas media. These actions have influenced international opinion and diplomatic efforts, according to reports from Reuters, BBC, and The New York Times.
Reports from established news outlets indicate Hamas positions military assets in densely populated areas, resulting in Palestinian casualties during Israeli responses that the group then promotes globally. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated in January 2026 briefings that Hamas launched over 15,000 rockets from urban zones since October 2023, with UN Watch verifying launches near UNRWA facilities. Hamas media outlets, including Al-Aqsa TV, broadcast images of the aftermath to highlight civilian tolls.
A UN report from September 2025 confirmed Hamas tunnel networks extending under civilian infrastructure, including Al-Shifa Hospital, where IDF operations uncovered weapons in November 2023. The New York Times verified footage of Hamas fighters near residential blocks prior to strikes. Gaza Health Ministry figures, controlled by Hamas, reported 43,000 deaths as of February 2026, with no distinction between civilians and combatants.
Tactics Employed in Urban Combat Zones
Hamas has maintained rocket firing positions adjacent to schools and mosques, as documented in IDF drone footage released in 2024. The Associated Press confirmed 120 instances in Rafah alone during 2025 operations. Following strikes, Hamas ambulances transported casualties to camera positions, per Sky News analysis of video timestamps.
In northern Gaza, Hamas instructed residents via Telegram to ignore evacuation orders in October 2025, leading to strikes on command posts embedded in apartment blocks. The Wall Street Journal cited captured Hamas documents outlining
"visual impact operations"
prioritising footage over fighter safety.
Joe Truzman, a researcher tracking militant groups, observed these patterns over a decade. Joe Truzman @JoeTruzman said in X post,
“Once the world fully grasps that Hamas would sacrifice every Palestinian life before relinquishing its grip on Gaza, it will begin to understand the grim reality of this conflict. Hamas has long understood that Palestinian casualties serve its strategic interests. I have observed Hamas do this for more than a decade. The group deliberately promotes and exploits civilian suffering because it fuels international outrage, isolates Israel diplomatically, and reinforces its narrative of so-called resistance. In this war, Hamas has weaponized Palestinian deaths more aggressively than ever because it knows it works. This calculated use of human tragedy is not a byproduct of war; it is a deliberate Hamas strategy.”
Role of Hamas-Affiliated Media Outlets
Quds News Network and Palinfo channels release casualty lists within minutes of incidents, feeding into Al Jazeera and social media. A Reuters investigation in 2024 tracked how these reports shaped UN Human Rights Council sessions, prompting resolutions critical of Israel. BBC Monitoring recorded Hamas official Ghazi Hamad stating in 2023 that civilian losses would force global intervention.
During the 2024 escalation in Khan Younis, Hamas filmed medics retrieving bodies from rubble for livestreams, halting recovery for better angles, according to CNN geolocation of videos. The Atlantic Council reported a 400 per cent rise in #FreePalestine posts correlating with strike timings.
David Reaboi, a national security commentator, highlighted statements from Hamas leadership. David Reaboi @davereaboi said in X post,
“All it takes is actually listening to Hamas’ leaders in Arabic—not the BBC or Greenwald and Smith—and you’d know that Hamas’ strategy was based on deliberately increasing the suffering of the civilian population in Gaza in order to manufacture a PR loss for Israel. They said this nonstop for years: Palestinians have always been more useful to them dead than alive. Israel had a decision to make: it could lose the actual war or the PR war. It chose to sacrifice the PR battle.”
Diplomatic and International Repercussions
These tactics have prompted protests in Europe and the US, with universities hosting encampments citing Gaza imagery. The EU Foreign Affairs Council in December 2025 referenced Hamas media in discussions on aid corridors. US State Department cables, leaked via The Washington Post, detailed Hamas blocking convoys to prolong shortages for footage.
Qatar's negotiations in Doha stalled in February 2026, with Hamas linking hostage releases to withdrawal demands amplified by casualty reports. Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper quoted intelligence sources warning Hamas against prolonging suffering for leverage.
Precedents from Prior Gaza Conflicts
In 2014's Operation Protective Edge, Hamas fired 4,900 rockets from civilian areas, per UN data, resulting in 2,100 Palestinian deaths versus 72 Israelis. The Goldstone Report's 2011 retraction noted Hamas' deliberate endangerment. Similar patterns emerged in 2008-2009 and 2021, with Hamas leaders praising "martyrs" for shifting narratives.
A 2023 Meir Amit Center review of Hamas manuals instructed units to operate near populations for
"strategic communications."
Yahya Sinwar, in intercepted calls, referenced past successes in forcing ceasefires through casualty pressure.
Verification Issues in Casualty Figures
Hamas-run ministry tallies, adopted by UNRWA, include natural deaths and duplicates, as exposed by AP in 2024. IDF identified 14,000 militants killed via biometric scans. Airwars verified 7,500 civilian deaths but 35 per cent in Hamas-declared safe areas.
Families receive payments for publicising losses, per Al-Monitor, incentivising registration regardless of cause.
Financial Backing for Operations
Iran provides rockets and tunnel expertise, with US sanctions targeting $200 million transfers in 2025. Qatar aid, previously $360 million yearly, now passes through Hamas channels, according to Der Spiegel. Cryptocurrency drives collected $10 million, laundered for media production.
Legal and Oversight Developments
ICC filings in 2025 cite Hamas videos showing civilians directed into combat zones post-October 7. The Hague reviewed intercepts of orders to maximise exposure. Western outlets like The Times documented Telegram channels celebrating initial attacks then pivoting to Gaza losses.
As of February 2026, mediators report Hamas calibrating demands based on daily casualty reports to sustain diplomatic pressure.