Iran state media uses Israeli hostage videos for their own benefit - analysis

Iran’s official news agency has posted an image of Israeli hostages who were recently murdered by Hamas as part of Tehran’s attempt to exploit their suffering.

“The military wing of the Palestinian Hamas Resistance Movement, the Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, has released the video of two Israeli captives who were among the six recently killed in Gaza, demanding Israeli authorities reach a ceasefire deal to secure their release,” Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Hamas released the videos, and IRNA posted them in an effort to traumatize and put pressure on Israel. There is a systematic, slow release of the videos to ensure maximum coverage of each one.

It is clear that this is part of wider messaging by Hamas, which is backed by Iran. Beirut-based Al Mayadeen, a pro-Iranian news channel, also posted the same images of Israeli hostages who were recently murdered.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi were killed by Hamas in late August. The IDF recovered their bodies from a tunnel in Rafah.

Why is Hamas releasing videos of murdered hostages' final pleas?

Hamas has been releasing videos of the hostages prior to their murder. The first video released was of Yerushalmi, followed by videos of Gat and then Lobanov.

It is clear that this is closely coordinated with pro-Iranian media, and that Iran is seeking to use the videos for its benefit.

“In the newly released video, one captive, Alexander Lobanov, says al-Qassam forces have moved him 10 times in order to protect his life,” IRNA reported. “He also says that the Israeli cabinet would kill the captives by refusing to reach a deal on their exchange. Another captive, Carmel Gat, in her video message, appeals to the Israeli cabinet and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue the captives’ release, while calling on Israelis to keep up their rallies to help prevent the blocking of the negotiations aimed at releasing the captives.”

Al Mayadeen reported: “After broadcasting the video message of Al-Qassam, a massive demonstration of settlers took place in Tel Aviv, demanding the conclusion of a prisoner exchange deal urgently. Israeli media confirmed that settlers blocked the road near the home of the minister of education in the occupation government, demanding the conclusion of the deal. Dozens of settlers also stormed a school in the settlement of Kfar Menachem while the minister of education was there.”

The report used the term “settlers” to refer to all Israelis. While it is trying to emphasize that Israelis are protesting because of the video, the actual statements of the pro-Iran media betray the reality of the Iranian goal. By referring to all Israelis as “settlers,” it is clear that the goal of the Iranian-backed groups such as Hamas is to commit genocide against all Israelis and expel everyone from the country.

This is what Hamas did on October 7 and continues to do through its abuse of the hostages. Iran has now jumped on this bandwagon to use the videos of the hostages as part of a wider propaganda campaign.

In another post on Thursday, IRNA repeated a Hamas statement that it had “issued another stern warning to the

Zionist regime regarding the remaining captives held in the besieged Gaza Strip.” The report claimed that “time is running out.”

The goal here is to also pressure Israel into a deal. Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida said: “Let it be clear to everyone that following the incident in Nuseirat, new instructions have been to the Mujahideen tasked with guarding the prisoners if the Zionist occupying forces approach the place of detention.”

This is how Hamas is using the deaths of the hostages to try to gain an advantage. It is clear that Hamas takes responsibility for murdering the hostages.

The UN has said it is aware of “reports that Palestinian armed groups summarily executed six Israeli hostages, which would constitute a war crime.”

It is not nameless “armed groups” that are publishing the hostage videos; Hamas and Iranian media are openly saying it is Hamas.

Hamas is also taking responsibility for the “new instructions” to kill hostages. It is saying it will return only the bodies of hostages if Israel continues to use military force.

Hamas’s intentions are clearly on the record, and it is also clear how Iran and pro-Iranian media are using the slow release of the videos to attain maximum impact.