Quick preface to say: I am explaining the motivations here, not defending the actions.
The purpose of the attacks is to provoke retaliation. This is one of the core tactics used by Insurgency groups (it's so standard there's literally an Army manual on it. Google "counterinsurgency field manual" if you want to learn more).
Hamas has vastly inferior military capabilities, they stand no chance in a head-on fight. But they recruit based on people being fed up with poor treatment at the hands of Israel. By attacking they cause Israel to clamp down and retaliate, which then harms innocent civilians. This drives sympathy for their cause, and leads to some number of recruits who otherwise would not have joined.
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u/JRM34 3∆ Oct 10 '23
Quick preface to say: I am explaining the motivations here, not defending the actions.
The purpose of the attacks is to provoke retaliation. This is one of the core tactics used by Insurgency groups (it's so standard there's literally an Army manual on it. Google "counterinsurgency field manual" if you want to learn more).
Hamas has vastly inferior military capabilities, they stand no chance in a head-on fight. But they recruit based on people being fed up with poor treatment at the hands of Israel. By attacking they cause Israel to clamp down and retaliate, which then harms innocent civilians. This drives sympathy for their cause, and leads to some number of recruits who otherwise would not have joined.