Outrageous PA libel: Israel itself committed the October 7 massacre to justify the attack on Gaza
The Palestinian Authority yesterday blamed Israel for Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre, claiming it was Israeli army helicopters that intentionally bombed young Israelis at the music festival and destroyed the “settlements” in southern Israel.
The PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs had the added audacity to claim that it was just repeating an Israeli police report that was in the Israeli press. As soon as the outrageous libel was publicized and Israel condemned it, the PA apparently realized that it had exposed itself as untrustworthy frauds, and quickly removed the announcement from its website.
However,Palestinian Media Watch had already made a screenshot of the announcement. The following is a translation of the full PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs report:
Headline: “The [PA] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates: The Israeli police’s initial investigation reveals the falsehood of the media materials that the occupation falsified in order to justify its aggression against the Gaza Strip (i.e., Israeli counter-terror operation against Hamas)”
“According to the [Israeli] Hebrew media, the Israeli police’s initial investigation proved that Israeli helicopters bombed the Israeli civilians who participated in the nature party on Oct. 7 [2023] (sic., refers to Nov. 18, 2023 Haaretz report that one Israeli army helicopter firing at Hamas terrorists may have accidentally also hit some Israeli civilians; the [Israeli] police have denied this report). This means that Israeli military aircraft caused great destruction in the area and in some of the settlements (i.e., Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip), after the so-called 'Hannibal Directive’ was activated, which allows the occupation police and occupation army to kill everyone (sic., the directive calls to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers even at the risk of harming Israeli forces).
Therefore, the ministry thinks that the conclusions of the aforementioned investigation cast doubt on the Israeli versions regarding the destruction and killing that took place in that area, especially on everything concerning the images and videos showing the destruction and the fires that broke out in many houses as a result of this bombing.
The ministry demands that all media outlets, senior UN officials, and heads of state monitor this topic, show interest in the Hebrew media publications on the topic, and reexamine their positions in light of this.”
[Website of the PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nov. 19, 2023]
Hamas war on Israel October 2023 - At least 1,200 Israelis, including over 1,000 civilians, were murdered and over 4,800 wounded, in addition to approximately 244 who were abducted into the Gaza Strip (including 110 later released or liberated and at least 26 later killed), in a Hamas terror war that began when approximately 3,000 Hamas terrorists broke through Israel's security fence at the Gaza Strip border and launched a surprise attack, taking control of several Israeli towns and attacking a music festival on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, which fell on the Sabbath, Oct. 7, 2023. During the massacre the terrorists tortured, raped, shot, beheaded, and burned their victims alive, murdering entire families and leaving at least 21 children without parents. Hamas terrorists also fired at least 5,000 rockets at Israeli population centers. In response, Israel launched Operation Iron Swords to counter the Hamas terror threat. Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon joined Hamas' terror war starting from the following day, attacking Israel from the north. Occasional rocket launches and shootings continued from Lebanon throughout the war. A ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal began on Nov. 24, 2023, in which Israel agreed to release 150 terrorist prisoners, pause drone surveillance in the Gaza Strip, and allow movement between the northern and southern Gaza Strip, in return for 50 Israeli female and child hostages held by Hamas. The deal was subsequently extended with additional releases, until Hamas violated the agreement and resumed attacking on Dec. 1, 2023.