Established in 2006 following the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, the "Shadow Unit" became the most secretive division within the "Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades," the military wing of Hamas, and was directly overseen by the late commander of the group, Mohammed Deif. Its members underwent a rigorous selection process after extensive training that included psychological warfare skills and emotional resilience training.
Security sources have reported that the unit managed the treatment of Israeli hostages, both civilian and military, who were captured during the attack on October 7.
However, Hamas continues to refuse to disclose the exact number of Israeli captives in its custody or their location. Israeli media notes that some detainees, such as Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, entered the Gaza Strip voluntarily many years ago.
Hamas representatives claim that the unit treats the captives "in accordance with Islamic values," but they are unwilling to provide any details regarding their conditions of detention. Israeli intelligence suggests that the shadow structure employs sophisticated methods to mislead surveillance operators, including moving hostages between tunnels.
For 18 years, the unit has managed to remain under the radar, but it gained notoriety during the significant prisoner exchange deal in 2011, when 1,027 Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange for soldier Gilad Shalit. It then "surfaced" again in 2022 when one of its members was killed during an Israeli raid.
The leak of videos featuring Shalit during his captivity is believed to have been part of Hamas's psychological pressure strategy, a tactic employed by the "Shadow Unit." Such tactics have been repeatedly used during the Gaza conflict, where videos of Israeli captives were released along with messages directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the political leadership of the Jewish state, urging an end to the war and a prisoner exchange with Hamas.
Despite its secrecy, Hamas has confirmed that the "Shadow Unit" adheres to high security standards: its members are subjected to surprise inspections, their phones are disabled from connecting to regular networks, and some fighters do not even know the identities of their colleagues.
Today, the "Shadow Unit" remains an enigmatic trump card that Hamas utilizes for leverage. The group hints at and openly states that through this division, the battle for Gaza is fought not only on the ground but also beneath it—within the numerous mazes and tunnels aimed at changing the rules of engagement in the conflict with Israel.