The optics of Hamas' hostage releases

The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, has condemned Hamas for its "despicable and cynical" exploitation of hostages, after three men freed in this weekend's prisoner swap were forced to mount a stage and answer questions before their release.

While the men – Iair Horn, Sagui Dekel-Chen and Sasha Troufanov – appeared to be in better health than those released in the previous prisoner exchange, their liberation was preceded by a "performative release 'ceremony'" staged by their captors, said The Telegraph. In one particularly "chilling" stunt, Hamas fighters handed Horn an hourglass with an image on it of the yet-to-be-released hostage Matan Zangauker, and the caption, "time is running out".

'Grotesque spectacle'

Concerns over Hamas' staging of hostage releases mounted during the previous prisoner exchange last Saturday, when three "emaciated and pale" Israeli hostages – Eli Sharabi, Ohad Ben Ami and Or Levy – were paraded in front of crowds, presented with "release certificates" and interviewed before their release, said The Independent. Relatives of the liberated men said they were "horrified" by the "grotesque spectacle".

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The Red Cross called on both Hamas and Israel to ensure future prisoner exchanges were "dignified and private" affairs. But it's clear from this weekend's event that Hamas has no intention of releasing its captives behind closed doors.

For the terror group, the drawn-out public spectacle of hostage release has become a way of "projecting its power", said The Jerusalem Post's Seth J. Frantzman. When three female hostages were marched to a Red Cross vehicle during their release last month, they were surrounded by a "sea of men", leading to "tense moments when it looked like the women would be swarmed by the crowd".

'Choreographed' visuals

There had also been controversy during earlier exchanges, in which hostages were given branded Hamas "gift bags" containing woolly hats, key rings, photos of hostages, images of Gaza, and a certificate bearing the message in Hebrew: "Zionism will not prevail".

These "carefully curated bags" are a "strategic act of story-telling", wrote Safa Othmani at Middle East Monitor, because "they convey messages of power, humanity and propaganda".

The photos of the hostages are a "stark reminder" of the control Hamas has over their lives – that "even moments of concession are framed under Hamas' power". The photo of Gaza is a "proud, defiant emblem" of what Hamas is fighting for, and the presentation of the certificate lets Hamas position itself as "a teacher" and a "moral instructor in a wider geopolitical narrative".

The "visuals out of Gaza and Israel" during prisoner swaps are part of a "choreographed battle of optics", said Laurie Kellman at the Associated Press. "Throughout history", participants in conflict have tried to "capitalise on the plight of those in captivity" to make themselves look "virtuous and strong" and the other seem "monstrous and weak". Even in times of war, "branding is a potent force".