Hostage-Release Lessons

Hamas’ first hostage release has confirmed some very telling facts about the terrorists: 1) They’re ruthless liars; 2) they’ll victimize anyone they can, and 3) they think they can get America to break with Israel. One of those released Friday was Hannah Katzir, 77 — a woman whom Palestinian Islamic Jihad (the No. 2 terror group based in Gaza) repeatedly announced days ago was killed by an Israeli airstrike.

That is, PIJ reported her as dead for pure propaganda purposes — to make the world think the Israeli government was killing hostages. The lie had at least two purposes — to increase divisions with Israel, and to tar Israel’s global image (the strike really must be “indiscriminate” if they’re killing their own people, you were supposed to think).

Fine: It’s no surprise that terrorists lie — but US and world media keep giving Hamas’ claims equal footing with anything Israel’s government says, even when it comes to such long-established and widely reported facts as the way Hamas had major terror bases around and even in the al-Shifa hospital.

Also freed were 10 Thai nationals and one citizen of the Philippines — farmworkers who’d been swept up by the terrorists amid the Oct. 7 atrocities. That is: The raiders grabbed with zero discrimination — anyone in Israel was a target, even people who plainly weren’t Israelis or Jews.

Again, not news: After all, those killed on Oct. 7 also included Arab Muslims, and Hamas and PIJ treat ordinary Gazans as their cattle — looting foreign and humanitarian aid for the cause, firing on civilians who try to flee rather than serve as human shields, etc.

Finally, note that no US citizens were released: The terrorists clearly intend to hang on to their American captives as long as possible, as leverage over Washington.

Without a doubt, Hamas and PIJ see Biden administration support for Israel as soft: They want it to make Israel agree to a “permanent” cease-fire, or at least to greatly extend this one so they can resupply as much as possible from all the humanitarian aid flowing into Gaza. So they want as many as possible American families besieging the White House on behalf of their loved ones.

If the cease-fire ends with Americans still held hostage, we guarantee the terrorists will soon claim the Israelis have killed one of them — and if that doesn’t work, they’ll kill an innocent themselves to produce the “proof.”

All of which goes to the central fact of this war: Hamas (and PIJ) must be eradicated, or the words “never again” have no meaning left.