Female IDF hostages were used as human shields by Hamas military leader

Liri Albag, Daniela Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, and Agam Berger were confined in an apartment where the high-ranking Hamas leader was staying.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Five female IDF observers recently freed from captivity in Gaza were used as human shields to protect a senior Hamas military leader.

Liri Albag, Daniela Gilboa, Karina Ariev, Naama Levy, and Agam Berger were confined in an apartment where the high-ranking Hamas leader was staying.

When the women noticed their captor giving orders to subordinates, they realized he held significant influence within the terror group.

They reported that their captor provided them with food and allowed them to shower, but this apparent kindness was ultimately a “good cop, bad cop” ploy, as other terrorists treated them as “soldiers” rather than civilians.

The Hamas military leader also provided them with food in an attempt to coerce information about IDF operations on the Gaza border before October 7.

The five female observers are set to be discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, though their full rehabilitation will take time.

DNA evidence confirmed that six hostages executed by Hamas in October had also been used as human shields.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Alex Lobanov, Carmel Gat, and Almog Sarusi were the six hostages murdered by Hamas to prevent an IDF rescue.

Hamas leader and October 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar was killed by chance during an IDF operation in Rafah, near the site where the six hostages had been executed.

When the IDF recovered the hostages’ bodies on August 31, they also found DNA evidence indicating that Sinwar had been in the area at some point between August 21 and August 27.

Early war reports suggested that Sinwar was hiding in Gaza tunnels and using hostages as human shields. The DNA evidence, location, and intelligence reports link him to the six murdered hostages.

The IDF had opportunities to target Sinwar earlier in the war, but his use of hostages as human shields hindered these operations.

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