The IDF dropped a bombshell Sunday with its revelation that seized Hamas internal documents revealed the terror group’s plans to plant explosives in and around displaced persons camps.

The plans from April 2024 show that Hamas planned to detonate the bombs as the IDF approached to sow confusion and panic, creating a diversion that would give their operatives cover to escape. The military said that this illustrates Hamas’ exploitation of the civilian population to further its own ends.

An excerpt from the documents shows that Hamas displayed not only careless disregard for the lives of its own people, but also deliberate intent to cause harm to serve Hamas’ own purposes.

In the excerpt, the document provides the following list of instructions; the translated part begins with the third instruction.

“3. Placing roadside explosive devices (IEDs) around displaced persons camps and detonating them directly against enemy vehicles to disrupt the enemy’s attack plans.

“4. Preparing explosive devices around displaced persons camps and detonating them in the air as the enemy approaches the targeted area, in order to create smoke screens, distract the enemy, and divert their focus and efforts away from the primary objective.

“5. Isolating homes that are expected to be occupied by the enemy near displaced persons camps that overlook and control entry and exit points.

“6. Planting explosive devices along anticipated routes that the enemy is expected to use for rapid advances toward displaced persons camps, to provide early warning to the relevant parties, delay the enemy’s advance, and thwart their plans from the outset as much as possible.”

The IDF condemned these tactics in a statement.

“The document shows that Hamas’ engineering department proposed planting explosive devices around displaced persons camps and detonating them as IDF troops approached, placing the civilian population in the camps at risk, in order to create panic as a smokescreen for the escape of its operatives,” the military said.

“This was part of Hamas’ preparations to protect its leadership and operatives, while endangering and exploiting the civilian population in the area, fully aware that these actions were likely to cause direct harm to civilians,” it added.