One learns from one’s mistakes. The thinking in Israel was that Sinwar had mellowed and would use the funding for social services in Gaza. This was “confirmed” in 2021 when Hamas didn’t join the rocket fire from Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Unfortunately Sinwar and Mohammed Deif are hardline Islamists, the kind who have never abandoned Hamas’s original charter. The atrocities of Oct 7 confirmed this. That the hostages should never have been kidnapped and should have been immediately returned shows Hamas’s contempt for both human life and international law. And unfortunately Hamas is popular precisely for that reason.
Hamas is not fighting for anyone’s freedom. As Abu Marzuk stated, the tunnels were not built to protect Gazans, they were built to protect Hamas. Death is an industry and martyrdom is a strategic goal. Normal governments try to protect their citizens. Hamas does not subscribe to that role.