Israelis duped by forged 'Hamas' documents, investigation reveals

In a startling revelation, an investigation by the occupation army has uncovered that Israel may have been duped by forged Hamas documents leaked to foreign media outlets, the Jerusalem Post reports. The forged Hamas documents were used to influence public opinion in Israel. The revelation has heightened tensions between Israeli security officials and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Following the revelation, the army launched an investigation to determine who was behind the forgery. The aim of the manipulation appears to have been an attempt to sway public opinion in Israel regarding a potential hostage deal.

Israelis are deeply divided over the deal, with Netanyahu putting the fate of the hostages behind his own political survival and the destruction of Hamas. The Israeli army does not believe Hamas can be destroyed and prioritising the defeat of the Palestinian group over the release of hostages has strained the relationship between the far-right government and the army.

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Two recent articles, one from the Jewish Chronicle and another from the German tabloid Bild, claimed to reveal internal and top-secret Hamas documents allegedly from Yahya Sinwar’s computer. Both publications presented Sinwar’s strategy in a manner that aligned perfectly with Netanyahu’s recent public statements, suggesting that the Hamas leader was attempting to sow division among Israelis and had little genuine interest in a hostage deal.

However, the army’s investigation has cast serious doubt on the authenticity of these documents, suggesting that they may have been forged or manipulated, potentially to support Netanyahu’s narrative.

An unnamed army official, quoted by Ynet, described the situation as “very serious”, stating: “There are systems in the IDF and other intelligence agencies whose job it is to influence the ‘Red,’ which is the enemy, but according to the law, it is forbidden to try and operate such a system of influence, certainly not with the use of classified materials that were not allowed to be distributed in public at all.”

The investigation’s findings have not only caused concern within Israel’s security apparatus but have also exacerbated existing tensions between security officials and Netanyahu. These tensions have reportedly reached new heights due to deep disagreements surrounding the potential hostage deal.

Adding to the controversy, journalist Elon Perry, writing for the Jewish Chronicle, cited Israeli intelligence sources claiming that only 20 hostages remain alive in Gaza, many allegedly handcuffed around Sinwar as human shields. However, the Israeli security establishment strongly disputes these figures, believing that far more hostages are still alive and that the majority are not being held in close proximity to the Hamas leader.