Over 1000 Israeli civilians were brutally killed on October 7th during the sneak breakout by Hamas fighters. Panic ensued and many atrocities were committed. Israel claimed all the victims were the result of Hamas’ antisemitic savagery. But contradictory evidence has surfaced. The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has called for an independent investigation. Israel has denied him access to investigate. Read more…
“Since the 7th of October, I intensified my efforts to get in and access the locations where crimes were committed in Israel”, wrote Karim A. A. Khan, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in a written statement, “and I’ve similarly made every effort to enter Gaza, but it has not been possible.“
Israel has refused to join the ICC and has always opposed Palestinian membership because it fears what an ICC investigation would find.
Khan’s October 30th statement came as questions are arising over the veracity of the Israeli narrative of the deaths being caused by crazed antisemitic Hamas terrorists rampaging through Israeli towns. This story has been the principal moral justification for its murderous month-long assault on Palestinians in Gaza. Israel’s Defence Minister has called the Hamas fighters “human animals”. Israel has carried out a very effective public relations campaign in Western countries showing gruesome pictures of civilian casualties. It has shown foreign journalists videos of murdered victims. And even taken the videos to Hollywood.
Disconcertingly, however, Israel has not allowed any foreign journalists to have copies of the videos to study. Israel claims it is because the videos are too upsetting for the relatives of the victims. But independent forensic evalulation of video evidence is commonplace in criminal investigations and is accepted practice in serious journalism.
At first the Israeli propaganda campaign included lurid atrocity tales – for which no evidence has been produced whatsoever – claiming that Palestinians beheaded dozens of Israeli babies and that women were raped. Some of those accusations have been walked back, but that does not stop them from continuing to circulate as fact on social media.
Who did it?
There does not seem to be any doubt that many atrocities were committed. But exactly what happened on October 7th is less clear.
Reports have circulated indicating that not all of the Israeli casualties were caused by Hamas fighters. Yasmin Porat, a Kibbutz Be’eri survivor told Israeli radio that Israeli security forces “undoubtedly” killed a large number of their own civilians. (The full interview is here).
Other reports quote accounts published in the Israeli media that Israeli tanks shelled houses where Hamas fighters were holding Israeli hostages – under the so-called “Hannibal Directive,” a controversial procedure used by Israeli Defense Forces to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers by enemy forces.
These cracks in the official narrative appear to be causing concern in Israel. “Denial of Hamas Oct 7th massacre is gaining pace”, noted an article in the Israeli daily Haaretz. Discounting this counternarrative as “fake news”, the Haaretz article worried about what it called “conspiracy theories” that “Hamas didn’t plan to kill civilians and mainly targeted soldiers, that atrocities such as rape and beheadings didn’t take place, and that most of the civilians murdered were actually killed in an exchange of fire or by the Israeli army.”
“We have to be careful about these (Israeli) allegations’, argues former UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter, (see interview at 25 min mark) in an interview with Danny Haiphong. Ritter investigated the now debunked US claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. He also spent many years posted in Israel and knows the IDF rather well. Ritter said dramatic claims like these are a common element of war propaganda.
What is known and what is not known?
According to reports, the Gaza breakout began at dawn (6:30 AM). Palestinian fighters flew paragliders over the Israeli barrier fence, attacking Israeli army communications towers and automated gun turrets. With these defenses disabled, they breached the fence with bulldozers at several points. Massed fighters then crossed into Israel in trucks and on motorcycles. It is estimated that 1,200-1,500 Palestinian fighters took part in the operation. Over 1000 were killed or taken prisoner. Another 500 apparently returned to Gaza, taking a number of hostages with them.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters almost certainly committed massacres. There are videos of fighters in uniform killing Israeli civilians. There are also videos of Palestinians taking Israeli civilian hostages back into Gaza. But by 10:30 AM, according to the Israeli military, most of the Hamas forces from the original invasion wave had already left, while looters, common onlookers and low-level guerrillas flowed freely into Israel – some of them picking up discarded weapons and going on a rampage.
Furthermore, several testimonies by Israeli military and civilian witnesses indicate that the Israeli military killed its own citizens as it fought to regain control. Israeli army photos of Kibbutz Be’eri tend to confirm Porat’s account, cited above, revealing damage to homes so extensive it could not possibly have been caused by the light weapons that the Palestinian fighters carried.
Israeli Apache attack helicopter pilots stated that they fired a huge amount of munitions, emptied the “belly of the helicopter” in minutes, flew to re-arm and returned to the air, again and again. The Israeli military ordered an airstrike against its own facility inside the Erez Crossing, filled with Israeli Civil Administration officers and soldiers at the time. CBC also reported that Israeli forces demolished the Sderot police headquarters with bulldozers, killing everyone, captors and hostages alike, inside.
What should be done?
The issue of what happened on October 7th is a life or death issue for thousands of Palestinians. The Israeli claim that Hamas was responsible for all of the atrocities and was motivated by an insatiable anti-semitism is fuelling the Israeli bombing campaign. Western countries who uncritically accept the Israeli claim are standing by as Israel kills more and more Palestinians. An urgent investigation is needed.
Canada should demand an immediate ceasefire, and join with the rest of the world community to demand that Israel allow the international Criminal Court, of which Canada is a founder, to carry out a complete and independent investigation of the events of October 7th.
Canada Talks Israel Palestine (CTIP) is the weekly newsletter of Peter Larson, Chair of the Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine (OFIP). It aims to promote a serious discussion in Canada about Canada’s response to the complicated and emotional Israel/Palestine issue with a focus on the truth, clear analysis and human rights for all. Readers with different points of view are invited to make comment.
Want to learn more about us? Go to Ottawa Forum on Israel/Palestine.ca
Canada Talks Israel/Palestine 
Amazing Peter I had no idea of any of this. Perhaps adds to the recent correction from the âZionist-run Israeli Health Authority’, that 1200 perished not 1400.
Also I sometimes tune into I24 the Israeli TV station out of Jaffa. They always show the number of Israelâs casualties.. and never a mention of the Palestinians in either Gaza or the West Bank.
And Beinart this morning.. the world needs to hear!
Wm
PS The rally in NF yesterday
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Peter,
You call for an international investigation of Israeli claims when Israel has provided extensive evidence. But you echo Hamas claims about the murder of civilians in Gaza without any independent investigation, even though Hamas has already been caught lying multiple times in the course of the war.
The claim that Israeli forces killed large numbers of their own people at Be’eri is just like the repeated unfounded claim by the Russians that the Ukrainians are responsible for bombing their own civilians. This is really shameful and a new low, for CTIP.
Hey David,
Yes, Israel has provided lots of evidence. But we both know that Israel has lied in the past, and has every incentive to lie here. I don`t know who killed whom. Lots of people were tragically killed.
Why in the world would you oppose an international, independent investigation. Including interviewing witnesses, if it isn`t because you are concerned about what it might reveal?
I didn’t say I opposed an international investigation.
I said that your post is muddying the waters where it is unwarranted. The story that the IDF fired on Israeli civilians on the beach is akin to the Russian claims that the deaths of Ukrainian civilians are always due to Ukrainian fire. There isn’t a shred of credible evidence for either claim. It’s dishonest for you to be repeating those unfounded claims here.
Hey David,
I am happy to hear that you approve of an independent international investigation on the events of October 7th.
I am not aware of the story about IDF firing on Israeli civilians on the beach. I am aware of seemingly credible allegations that IDF fired shells on houses in at least one Kibbutz where they thought Hamas soldiers were holding Israeli hostages.
I’m not blaming the IDF for doing that. But I do blame the Israeli government if they knew that was the case but tried to pin it on Hamas to justify their murderous attack on Gazas civilian population.
Did you miss that the claims abut Israeli forces killing large numbers of their own people at Be’eri were made by Israeli survivors and military people? And as to any independent verification of the numbers released by the Palestinian Health Authority, which is independent of Hamas, these have been deemed acceptable not only by all independent verifiers in the past, but even used by the US State Department and the state of Israel. The attempt to discredit these numbers as coming from Hamas is typical Israeli propaganda, and honestly as misguided as claiming that statistics provided by the CHS come from the Liberal Party, since it controls the Canadian government. Besides, just take a look at the satellite images – it’s hard to believe those numbers are as low as they are.
Israel has provided what it calls evidence but it has not allowed that evidence and the rest of the scene to be examined by neutral observers. For example, it showed a film to reporters but would not give them a copy to examine. We live in a world where even amateurs can produce fake films and Israel is no amateur. It has some of the most sophisticated technical people that I have met. It claims to have found weapons in hospitals but has not allowed neutral observers to be present at the search. We all know that the first victim of war is the truth and that clever people can mislead without telling untruths, they just have to omit the right things. If Israel is telling the truth, it should welcome an international investigation.
I, too, feel there is need for some inquiry…too much of the coverage is based on Israeli sources…and we know how much we can trust these implicitly! You atre doing marvellous work, Peter…CarryOn!
What a lousy “work” of journalism. You are clearly against Israel in any fight if you seem to write so much about pure antisemitic conspiracy theories.
“Light weapons”… What about ~500 RPG rockets fired by the Hamas? what about hundreds of anti-tank/vehicle bombs used? ohhh, you forgot? If you think Israeli forces shot their own civilians, and so many of them, you clearly have no idea about Israel…
Yet another self-claimed expert on the Middle East…
Hey Alex,
i am not a “self claimed” expert on the middle east. And I definitely do not know what happened on October 7th. I know what Israel says. And I know that there are a few voices that are questioning that version. I think the most reasonable approach would be to hold an independent investigation. Don’t you?