Hamas likely to step up efforts to kidnap IDF troops, experts warn

"No doubt Hamas will increase its attempts to take new hostages, including bodies of dead soldiers and civilians,” Tel Aviv University's Palestinian studies forum head Michael Milshtein said.

Hamas may increase its attempts to kidnap IDF soldiers operating in the Gaza Strip, a Tel Aviv University academic told British outlet The Guardian on Saturday.

"[There is] no doubt Hamas will increase its attempts to take new hostages, including bodies of dead soldiers and civilians,” head of the Palestinian studies forum at Tel Aviv University Michael Milshtein said.

This came after St.-Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Abraham Azulay, 25, was killed in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip after terrorists emerged from a tunnel and tried to abduct him, the IDF reported Wednesday.

Azulay fought back until the terrorists shot him, the military said. Soldiers opened fire, struck several terrorists, and thwarted the abduction.

However, Hamas's focus on a new aim of capturing an IDF soldier during operations in the Gaza Strip could offer the terror group significant new leverage during the negotiations for a ceasefire deal and hostage release, as well as having a major impact on public opinion across Israel, The Guardian noted.

“Hamas may release captives to have a ceasefire, at least for now, but is also attempting to capture more … so is signaling that any agreement is not going to be a permanent end to the overall conflict,” Ramallah-based political analyst Abdeljawad Hamayel told The Guardian.

"It’s not just about gaining a card to play in negotiations but is a key part of the psychological battle. Hamas aim to boost their own fighters and demoralize both Israeli soldiers in Gaza and civilians in Israel," an unnamed Qatar-based Palestinian analyst familiar with Hamas's strategic discussions added.

Hamas may only be deploying a "couple of hundred" terrorists in the enclave, but this is sufficient for its strategic purposes, the Qatar-based analyst added.

“Hamas only have a few cells here, but they are very careful and precise with their resources,” they stated.

Hamas terrorists shift towards guerrilla warfare tactics

Additionally, Hamas terrorists have undergone a "military transformation" since conducting their October 7 massacre, going from a "quasi-conventional force to one that is suited to guerrilla warfare," according to military experts cited by The Guardian.

“It’s a very complicated battlefield for the IDF. Hamas are taking advantage of all the rubble. They are experts in guerrilla warfare and have been fighting Israel for 20 years,” former IDF military historian and Hamas expert, Guy Aviad told the British outlet.

“We are now seeing a form of attritional warfare which is placing some limits on Israel’s power and is also having some effect on public opinion across the world,” Hamayel added.

Additionally, Milshtein noted that Hamas was eager for a ceasefire, but not at any cost.

“Here in Israel, we have had an experiment with the idea that more and more pressure on Hamas means they will [eventually] give up. Well, how much more pressure can you imagine?,” he said.

“We have killed their leaders. We have destroyed Gaza. But we have not changed the basic attitudes and demands of Hamas,” he concluded.