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Hamas Massacre and Operation Iron Swords: What You Need To Know

On October 7, 2023, the Hamas terror group launched a multi-pronged surprise attack against the Jewish state. As waves of rockets and missiles were fired from Gaza at communities in southern and central Israel, Hamas…

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On October 7, 2023, the Hamas terror group launched a multi-pronged surprise attack against the Jewish state. As waves of rockets and missiles were fired from Gaza at communities in southern and central Israel, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel by land and air, massacring Israeli civilians in their homes and forcefully taking over 100 Israelis as hostages into Gaza.

In response, Israel declared war and initiated the bombardment of Hamas targets in Gaza. In addition, the IDF has also called up some 350,000 reservists to support it in its fight against Palestinian terror.

As the eyes of the world are now turned to Israel, here are some key points that you should keep in mind when following the media coverage of the war:

Hamas Is an Internationally Recognized Terror Organization

For the past three decades, Hamas has engaged in various forms of terrorism against Israeli civilians, including suicide bombings, indiscriminate rocket attacks, shootings, and stabbings.

It is for this reason that the group has been labeled as a terror organization by, among others, Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, and Australia.

Several mainstream media organizations refused to refer to Hamas members as “terrorists” in recent articles, preferring to use more neutral terms like “militants,” “fighters,” “soldiers,” and “raiders.”

These terms not only minimize Hamas’ actions but also provide a form of legitimacy to their barbaric activities.

Hamas Wants To Destroy Israel

Almost immediately after Hamas’ attack began, several news outlets sought to contextualize the terror group’s brutality by providing their audiences with possible factors that would have contributed to the surprise assault.

These rationalizations claim that Hamas’ attack was a response to a rise in West Bank violence over the past year, clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian rioters at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem earlier this year, the ongoing Israeli defensive blockade of Gaza, the lack of a two-state solution, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in general.

However, these seeming justifications are a red herring as Hamas’ raison d’etre is the destruction of the Jewish state. This is expressed in both its 1988 charter as well as its 2017 document of general principles and policies.

Therefore, any attempt at rationalizing the attack as the result of some immediate cause (which implicitly accords some liability to Israel) or portraying Hamas as a rational state actor with legitimate goals only serves to minimize and whitewash the terror group’s genocidal intentions.

 

 

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Context, Context, Context

News consumers need to understand the context behind certain statements and statistics, even if the media do not provide that context.

When analyzing statistics about Palestinians killed in Gaza and the West Bank, it is important to understand that cumulative statistics (e.g. “950 people have been killed in Gaza”) do not differentiate between terrorists and civilians.

Without this key information, the media can draw a moral equivalence between the number of Israelis and Palestinians killed even though the majority of Israelis killed are civilians and the majority of Palestinians killed are terrorists.

It is also important to keep in mind that, as the authoritarian ruling body of Gaza, Hamas controls all the information leaving the area and runs all government ministries.

Thus, when the media quotes the Ministry of Health in Gaza, they are quoting Hamas officials.

Israel Is Conducting a War Against Hamas, Not Exacting Revenge Against Gazan Civilians

In response to Hamas’ atrocities, Israel declared war against the Palestinian terror group and has been conducting a campaign of artillery and aerial bombardments against Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip. There is a high likelihood of a ground operation.

Although Israel is conducting itself in the same manner that any democracy would when faced with a similar enemy, several news outlets have callously referred to Israel’s response as “revenge” and “retribution.”

These terms serve to portray Israel in a negative light and also distort the true nature of Israel’s response: the neutralization of the threat to its citizens from an internationally recognized terror group.

Similarly, despite Israel’s military focus on Hamas, some media organizations have reported the campaign as being directed against all of Gaza’s citizens.

Although Israel does its best to avoid civilian casualties, Hamas purposefully embeds its personnel and arms within densely occupied civilian centers and non-military sites (such as schools, hospitals, and mosques).

Thus, despite Israel’s use of targeted strikes and attempts to warn the local populations about impending bombardments, this cynical use of human shields by Hamas ultimately leads to civilian deaths.

As the Israeli Air Force’s chief of staff recently stated, “We do not act like the other side, we do not attack the civilian population. Behind every attack, there is a target. We act precisely and professionally but not surgically.”

 

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Photo Credits:

  • Ayal Margolin via Flash90
  • Atia Mohammed via Flash90
  • Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty Images

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Picture of Chaim Lax
Chaim Lax
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Chaim moved to Israel in 2018. He has a B.A. (Hons) in Political Science and History from York University as well as an MA in Israel Studies from the Rothberg International School at Hebrew University. Prior to joining HonestReporting, Chaim worked with a variety of Israel advocacy organizations in both Canada and Israel.
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