Investigative Reports Undermine Israeli Narrative of October 7th Events
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, with the third anniversary of the Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023, approaching, the narratives initially put forth by the Israeli regime in the early hours of the conflict have once again come under scrutiny. This comes as later investigations by the press and international institutions have exposed the untruthfulness of many of these claims, which had initially dominated the global media landscape.
Following its inability to counter Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and prevent resistance fighters from reaching its military and security positions, the Israeli regime resorted to promoting false narratives of “slaughtered children” and “rape and burning of women” to cover up its failure. These allegations were rapidly amplified by Western media and politicians. However, over time, media institutions have retracted many of these accounts as subsequent investigations indicated they were all presented in the initial hours without any substantiated evidence.
Falsehood of Hamas Killing 40 Children
The story of “40 beheaded children” was among the first narratives to dominate headlines. This report, attributed to Israeli soldiers in the kibbutz of Kfar Aza, was widely disseminated across global media despite lacking any supporting evidence. U.S. President Joe Biden himself claimed on October 11th to have seen verified images of beheaded children. However, the White House later walked back Biden’s assertions, explaining that he had not personally viewed such images and that his information was solely based on media and Israeli official accounts.
Allegations of Sexual Assault on Victim Women
In the kibbutz of Be’eri, similar allegations of “rape and sexual violence” emerged, partly attributed to accounts from volunteers of the ZAKA organization (responsible for body recovery). Nevertheless, an Associated Press investigation revealed that two of the most significant claims were inaccurate. In one instance, the condition of a body was interpreted as evidence of rape, when it was later determined that Israeli soldiers had moved the corpse. In another case, what was described as the fetus of a pregnant woman was, in fact, merely a burnt object. The UN Special Rapporteur on Sexual Violence later confirmed that these allegations were baseless and no evidence was found to support them.
Firas Yaghi, an analyst specializing in Israeli affairs, believes that on the third anniversary of October 7th, the Israeli regime’s fabricated narratives from the early days of the war are no longer being accepted. In an interview with the Shahab news agency, he explained that Western media initially accepted the early Israeli accounts of child killings and sexual assault as truth without sufficient investigation. However, as time passed, media institutions and journalists retreated from these claims or corrected them due to the unreliability of the sources.
Israelis Killed by Israel
Yaghi also recalled that a United Nations international investigation committee concluded that the occupying army killed at least 14 Israeli civilians during incidents related to the implementation of the “Hannibal Protocol” on October 7th. The committee’s report also stated that a woman from the Nir Oz kibbutz was likely killed by Israeli helicopter fire while being transferred to Gaza. Furthermore, an investigation by the newspaper Haaretz indicated that in several instances, civilians and hostages were targeted by direct Israeli forces’ fire due to the implementation of the “Hannibal Protocol.”
Hamás Command Centers Beneath Gaza Hospitals: A Delusion
The claims regarding the main command center of the Hamas movement being located beneath the Al-Shifa Hospital complex in western Gaza City, which were widely promoted to justify missile strikes on hospitals and their inhumane evacuation, have also repeatedly proven to be false throughout the war. Western media, having previously been misled by Israeli propaganda, were more cautious this time in accepting the Israeli narrative about these underground facilities and expressed doubts. The hollowness of these claims became evident with the repeated attacks and occupation of hospitals in the Gaza Strip, particularly Al-Shifa Hospital.
In conclusion, Yaghi states that with the exposure of these international and internal reports, the credibility of the initial October 7th narrative has completely collapsed. This narrative not only failed in deceiving public opinion against the resistance but ultimately led to increased isolation and ostracization of the Israeli regime in global public opinion.
Government and Public Stances on Israeli Fabrications
According to Yaghi, the widening gap between the Israeli regime’s initial narrative and verifiable facts has severely undermined the credibility of Israeli claims. He adds that on October 7th, it became clear that the operation was not only a military defeat but also a defeat on the narrative battlefield for the Israeli regime. While Tel Aviv attempted to leverage the shock of the attack into a general framework to justify its genocide, field journalism investigations gradually revealed the details of these falsehoods.
Despite repeated exposure of the Israeli regime’s claims and falsehoods over the past three years, and while unprecedented, millions-strong demonstrations against the Israeli regime’s genocide in Gaza have taken place in the capitals of most countries, many Western governments have continued their unwavering support for the Israeli regime’s actions. At the forefront of these countries is the United States, where both the Democratic and Republican parties have demonstrated a complete consensus in their absolute support for the Israeli regime, despite tactical differences on various issues.
