Hamas leadership calls for kidnapping of IDF soldiers following death penalty law passing

In a document, Hamas described the proposed legislation as a “fascist law,” and urged members of the organization’s military wing to escalate and carry out “active operations.”

Hamas leadership is planning to intensify efforts to kidnap Israeli soldiers, and has framed kidnappings as the only effective means of securing the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to an internal message published Monday by Israeli Public Broadcaster KAN News.

The letter, circulated internally among Hamas operatives in Gaza, came after a new law was passed by the Knesset that would impose thedeath penalty on convicted terrorists.

In the document, Hamas described the proposed legislation as a “fascist law,” and urged members of the organization’s military wing to escalate and carry out “active operations.”

The internal communique reportedly emphasized what Hamas described as the strategic importance of abducting Israeli soldiers, calling it “the only path” to securing the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

“The campaign against the guards is not being waged within the prison walls alone, but is your own campaign in the field,” the statement published by Kan read. “Increase your level of alert, and our response will be an act that the enemy will see with his own eyes before he hears about it, because freedom is taken by force of arms.”

The group also referenced the legacy of Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and former military commander of the terrorist group, Mohammed Deif, portraying prisoner exchanges as a central pillar of the organization’s doctrine.

“Remember the martyred commander Mohammad Deif, who turned the release of prisoners into a fighting doctrine,” the statement said.

Hamas warns harm to prisoners could lead to escalation

Hamas further warned that harm to Palestinian prisoners could trigger broader escalation with soldiers in the Gaza envelope.

“Any harm to the life of a prisoner is an explosive that will lead to the eruption of a volcano,” the letter read.

The report did not specify whether Israeli defense officials assess the message as reflecting concrete operative orders or as broader propaganda aimed at motivating terrorists inside the Gaza Strip.