Hamas may use hostages as shields to stop IDF Gaza City invasion, expert warns

As Egypt and Qatar step up pressure on Hamas in hostage talks, expert Lt.-Col. (Res.) Alon Eviatar says the group remains unmoved, using threats to stall IDF action in Gaza City.

Hamas’s declared plan to relocate hostages into Gaza City to use them as human shields may present a serious deterrent to an IDF operation into the city, Lt.-Col. (Res.) Alon Eviatar, an expert in Palestinian affairs, said on Monday.

Speaking to 103FM, Eviatar warned the threat may not be a bluff, but a strategy that could limit Israel’s ability to expand its military pressure on the Strip’s urban core. “To concentrate, if not all, then most of the hostages inside the city and in the tunnels, using them as a human shield against an IDF incursion, especially into hardcore Hamas strongholds, presents Israel with a very significant deterrent,” he said.

“Even if Hamas had no intention of doing it, and I see no reason to assume that, they have still handed Israel a very difficult dilemma. They will exploit this threat to the fullest to prevent a broad and massive IDF entry.”

Eviatar said that Egypt is applying growing pressure on Hamas in light of the IDF’s declared plan to operate more forcefully in Gaza City. “This past week, we’ve seen Egyptian pressure. The Egyptians are hosting Hamas and holding talks with them in Cairo. When the Egyptians start to squirm in their seats under the assumption that the IDF intends to enter Gaza, that says a lot.”

From Egypt’s perspective, the fear is not only escalation, but migration. “The scenario troubling Egypt is Israel’s talk about the migration of a million Palestinians from Gaza City southward. That ‘southward’ means into their home, into Egypt. For them, that’s a red line.”

Egypt and Qatar exert influence but Hamas stays entrenched

Eviatar said Cairo is pushing Hamas to show flexibility, but so far with little success. “There’s an Egyptian attempt to soften Hamas’s positions. I do see them trying to ease and flatten Hamas’s stubbornness on what we’ve seen so far, but I don’t see results. The Israeli threat to enter Gaza City is unwelcome in Hamas’s eyes, but it doesn’t make them climb down from the tree on the critical issues,” he said.

“When it comes to tactical adjustments or small flexibility on less central issues, perhaps. But on the bottom line, I don’t see a Hamas shift yet.”

Each mediator has its own leverage, Eviatar said. Egypt’s position is more direct. “Gaza is their backyard, the entry point to Sinai, and Hamas has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Rafah Crossing connects the two areas. Egypt can apply real, tangible pressure, not just tomorrow morning. For them, the incentive is stronger, and they play less of a double game than Qatar. Qatar sits outside, pulling strings one way and then the other, but their tool is financial.”

Back in Israel, Eviatar commented on the day of nationwide protests held by hostage families on Sunday, which included roadblocks, vigils, and calls for renewed hostage talks. He noted that Hamas is closely monitoring these protests, not as signs of Israeli weakness, but as potential leverage over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision-making.

“From their point of view, the magnifying glass is to examine how the protests affect Israel’s leadership, whether there’s social leverage that can influence Netanyahu’s decisions. That’s the test for them,” he said.

Despite pressure, Hamas sticks to core demands

Eviatar was skeptical that the protests would move Hamas off its long-standing demands. “I don’t see any change in Hamas’s demands or prices because of the demonstrations. Where is there room to harden further? Their positions have been the same for a long time, no dramatic shifts. Whether protests are weaker or stronger, I don’t see a direct effect on what Hamas presents. In this regard, I reject the claim that the protests are raising the price.”

Negotiators in Egypt, including representatives from Qatar, are expected to continue talks this week with Hamas officials. Both Cairo and Doha are trying to pressure Hamas into concessions on hostage release, as Israeli political and public pressure grows.