Feasts in the tunnels: the new images that expose Hamas's double standards

The Israeli army (IDF) released photographs showing Muhammad Shabana, commander of Hamas's Rafah brigade, sharing opulent dinners with his men in March of this year, just weeks before being killed in an airstrike in Khan Yunis.

The images, recovered at the site of the May 13 bombing that eliminated both Shabana and Mohammed Sinwar — a senior official of the organization and brother of Yahya Sinwar —, depict the activists enjoying a Ramadan iftar inside an underground tunnel. On the trays, falafel, roasted meats, fish, vegetables, bread, and fried foods can be seen: a menu difficult to reconcile with the "famine" narrative that Hamas spreads in its statements and through international media.

The military spokesperson in Arabic, Colonel Avichay Adraee, commented on X:

"Luxurious breakfasts and abundant meals during the war: this was the life of the terrorist commander of the Rafah brigade. While the enclave's residents could barely break their fast with leftovers, Hamas's leaders celebrated underground with a banquet".

Adraee accused Hamas of deliberately manipulating international perception: "With one hand, Hamas runs a media campaign about the alleged famine in Gaza; with the other, it confiscates food to feed its leaders and families. The images, unlike propaganda, do not lie."

Shabana assumed command of the Rafah brigade in 2014, after the elimination of three high-ranking commanders during that year's Gaza war. He controlled four battalions, including the Nukhba unit, responsible for leading the October 7 massacre in southern Israel, which left about 1,200 dead and 252 hostages.

He had survived multiple assassination attempts, even during Israeli ground operations in Rafah. His death occurred in a surgical strike with more than 50 precision munitions launched in less than 30 seconds, designed to destroy the underground complex without affecting the European hospital located above. Israel officially confirmed his elimination and Sinwar's three weeks after the operation.

The release of these photographs coincided with the publication of a study by the Begin-Sadat Center at Bar-Ilan University, which questions the accusations of genocide in Gaza. According to the researchers, such allegations are based on flawed data and ultimately weaken international law.

The report argues that those who accuse Israel of genocide present civilian casualties as part of a systematic extermination policy, when in reality most cases are due to Hamas's use of human shields. The organization's tunnel network, with more than 310 miles (500 kilometers) and 5,700 entrances connected to civilian infrastructure, would be evidence of that tactic.

The document adds that Hamas and associated criminal gangs control up to 85% of the humanitarian aid trucks entering the Strip. These groups receive monthly payments, food, and vouchers in exchange for ensuring that the distribution primarily benefits the organization and not the civilian population.

Meanwhile, of the 252 hostages kidnapped on October 7, 48 remain captive, of whom only about twenty are believed to be alive.