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Rabat – Since Israel launched its merciless ethnic cleansing campaign on October 7, the occupation power has been spreading lies and misinformation to not only justify its genocide in Gaza but also to garner global sympathy and paint itself as the victim.
Particularly alarming are the claims Israel made to justify its attacks on hospitals in Gaza, which have become a shelter for displaced individuals, as well as its repeated efforts to paint Palestinian resistance fighters as terrorists.
Television network Al Jazeera has highlighted some of Israel’s most blunt lies regarding its ongoing genocidal war on Gaza and Hamas’ Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Fabricated Pretexts to Justify Attacks on Hospitals
Israel put forth claims attempting to justify attacks on hospitals, particularly the Rantisi Hospital and the currently ongoing assault on Al-Shifa Hospital, the largest medical facility in Gaza. This included the alleged presence of Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels, near Rantisi hospital.
These claims were strongly denied by Hamas, Palestinian health officials, public figures, and NGOs. Video evidence showed that the purported underground tunnel was, in fact, a well for electricity and internet cables serving the residential area surrounding the hospital.
Israel further claimed that the Rantisi hospital’s basement was an operational area for Hamas. However, health officials pointed out that the basement was a standard part of the facility serving as storage space for medication and an administrative area for hospital staff.
Read also: Complicity in Gaza Genocide Unmasks the West’s Moral Decay, Inherent Brutality
In addition, Israel claimed that the kitchen and bathroom found in the basement insinuated that Hamas kept hostages there. Hamas denied these allegations, arguing that such facilities in an area designated for hospital staff and administration were entirely normal.
The Israeli army also reported discovering a paper on a wall in the basement containing the names of Hamas members. However, video footage showed it displayed the days of the week, from Saturday to Friday, written in Arabic.
In a statement, Hamas explained that these were simply days of the week, used by civilians sheltering at the hospital to mark the days of Israeli aggression.
Al Ahli Arab Hospital Bombing
On October 17, the Israeli army bombed the courtyard of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, claiming the lives of at least 500 Palestinians, including patients and displaced people seeking shelter.
Israel initially attributed the bombing of the hospital to a Hamas airstrike gone astray.
However, Hananya Naftali, a former member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s media team, contradicted this narrative, tweeting that the Israeli Air Force intentionally targeted the hospital to eliminate Hamas members. Naftali deleted his tweet shortly after.
But subsequent investigations by Al Jazeera discredited Israel’s claims. After analyzing live videos from Gaza, Al Jazeera concluded that the strike did not originate from inside the city.
Fake Palestinian Nurse
A video featuring a woman posing as a Palestinian nurse at the Al-Shifa Hospital surfaced online, accusing Hamas of taking over the hospital and stealing much-need fuel and medical supplies.
The nurse, who appeared to be crying and visibly distressed, prompted civilians to flee the hospital due to a supposed threat. The sound of bombs can be heard in the video.
Rather unsurprisingly, media personality Marc Owen Jones later revealed that the bombing sounds were fabricated, mere sound effects.
Palestinian activists also noted that the woman’s accent was inconsistent with Palestinian dialects, ultimately exposing her as Israeli.
Fake Forbes Cover of Hamas Leader
In another attempt to paint Hamas in a negative light, Israelis circulated a forged Forbes cover depicting Hamas leader Khaled Mashal as a billionaire who amassed wealth by deceiving Palestinians.
“Made his fortune defrauding his people and the generosity of the world,” said the fake Forbes cover.
The cover featured a picture of Mashal, smiling and wearing a suit, set against a backdrop of destroyed buildings and rubble in Gaza.
However, Reuters exposed the cover as a forgery and quoted a Forbes spokesperson as confirming that the magazine had not published it.
Hamas’ Beheading of 40 Israeli Babies
Perhaps one of the most egregious claims that Israel has made after the new cycle of violence erupted, was the claim that Hamas beheaded 40 Israeli infants during the Al Aqsa flood operations.
These baseless accusations were even echoed by US President Joe Biden following his meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, before Biden’s staff quickly retracted the claim and confirmed they had not seen any evidence of it.
The intent behind disseminating such shocking lies appears to be a strategic ploy by Israel to evoke global sympathy, painting themselves as victims while labeling Hamas as terrorists.
This fabricated narrative served as a justification for Israel’s extensive military actions in Gaza, resulting in the tragic loss of more than 11,000 Palestinian lives.
False Safe Zones in South Gaza
Adding to this web of deceit, Israel ordered Palestinians to evacuate the north of Gaza for their safety.
However, this directive turned out to be a cruel ruse designed to manipulate the vulnerable circumstances of civilians caught in the crossfire of Israel’s genocidal war.
Palestinians who heeded the evacuation order and fled south for safety yet again found themselves under unceasing, merciless Israeli attack.
Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza has forced over 1.6 million Palestinians from their homes.
Around 700,000 of them are seeking refuge in UNRWA schools. Meanwhile, thousands of others have been seeking shelter in public facilities, including schools and mosques, which were also targeted by Israeli airstrikes.
