Former hostage Eitan Mor shares shocking insights into Hamas' military preparedness, revealing their deep knowledge of Israel and their unwavering commitment to future attacks.

Former hostage Eitan Mor said he was “amazed” by how much intelligence he saw Hamas had on Israel during his time in captivity, adding that the terrorist group had been focused on rebuilding and preparing for further attacks.

Mor’s remarks came as right-wing ministers and lawmakers called for a complete takeover of the Gaza Strip during a Knesset conference on Monday titled Gaza the Day After: The Political Plan of the Israeli Right.

“People underestimate how organized they are,” Mor said about Hamas. “Shifts. Guard rotations. Thousands of shafts. Even under siege, they have food supplies for a year. The only real weakness is water.”

Water resources run out in the tunnels, he noted.

“They will not give up. Many of them told me: ‘Until the last Israeli is removed from here, we’ll keep kidnapping.’ Jihad is the highest commandment in their religion. They are obsessed with us; this is their life’s purpose,” Mor said.

Hamas maintained strict discipline

Hamas maintained strict discipline while holding hostages, he continued. “Their safety discipline shocked me. When moving hostages, there’s always a safety briefing. One terrorist, now dead, used to say: ‘The first mistake is the last mistake.’”

“They have booklets on the army and the tools we have. Everything down to the smallest detail.”

Mor was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival when Hamas invaded on October 7. He was held captive for two years and released as part of the latest US-brokered ceasefire deal in October 2025.

“On October 7, I saw the atrocities. I knew they were huge, but I didn’t understand the scale,” Mor said, speaking about the beginning of his time in captivity.

Hamas terrorists had given him a radio and turned on broadcasts for him to translate into English.

“I heard on the radio that over a thousand people had been murdered, hundreds wounded. They started mentioning names, friends of mine, people I worked with. I shut off the radio. I wanted to know, but I couldn’t hear it.”

Mor said he also learned how to speak Arabic during his time in captivity. While in the tunnels, he could also hear military activity above him.

“What helped me was something straightforward: praying for morning to come. I didn’t want night anymore. There were many moments where you’re just clinging to a blanket, trying to get through all the noises around you,” he said.

Though Israel entered a ceasefire deal with Hamas in October 2025, the agreement is still in its first stage, as the remains of slain Israeli hostage St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Givili have yet to be returned by the terrorist group.

The Knesset conference featured panels on Israel’s next steps after more than two years of war. Justice Minister Yariv Levin said, “We will not give up until we complete the mission of bringing Ran Givili home.”

He called for Israel to take over Gaza, saying, “The entire approach whereby we hand control of our land to terrorist organizations and buy ourselves quiet is wrong and destructive.”

“We must be in Gaza and throughout the Land of Israel because this is our land – not only for security reasons,” he added.

The conference was initiated by MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionist Party), who said, “The political outlook of the Right must move to the next stage – not settle for containment, but go all the way.”