On Saturday, October 14, NBC News published a report, asserting an exclusive possession of 'covert documents' discovered amidst the corpses of Hamas militants, slain amid battles in the Gaza envelope settlements during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, inaugurated by the Al-Qassam Brigades on October 7.
The network contended that the documents unveil a calculated, intricate, and orchestrated scheme by what it dubbed 'the terrorists' to deliberately besiege primary schools and a teen center, with the explicit intent to murder and abduct civilians and schoolchildren in the Kfar Saad settlement within the Gaza Strip.
The outlet proclaimed, citing the pair of documents it appended, that the attack plans, labeled 'top secret' in Arabic, were directives for two elite Hamas units to encircle villages, permeate them, and target civilians including children, congregate,' with the objective of 'slaughtering as many individuals as possible.
The authenticity of the two documents, circulated by the channel and inscribed in Arabic with an 'Abu Hamza Abbas' watermark, could not be substantiated. They seemed to constitute part of a six-page dossier tagged 'Top Secret,' which the outlet did not fully disclose, and which featured several blank fields meant to be populated with particulars, such as the names of vehicular operators involved in the operation.
Translating for non-Arabic readers, the media outlet wrote, “One page labeled ‘Top Secret’ outlines a plan of attack for Kfar Sa’ad, saying ‘Combat unit 1’ is directed to ‘contain the new Da’at school,’ while ‘Combat unit 2’ is to ‘collect hostages,’ ‘search the Bnei Akiva youth center’ and ‘search the old Da’at school.’ Another page labeled ‘Top Secret Maneuver’ describes a plan for a Hamas unit to secure the east side of Kfar Sa’ad while a second unit controls the west. It says ‘kills as many as possible’ and ‘capture hostages.’ Other orders include surrounding a dining hall and holding hostages in it.”
Numerous Israeli and general Western media outlets distributed the documents, adding additional details. For instance, the British newspaper The Telegraph published the news under the headline, “Hamas planned killing of young children, secret documents reveal.” The article reads: “Hamas terrorists targeted primary schools in order to kill babies and children or take them hostage, according to plans retrieved from the bodies of dead gunmen.”
Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the documents disseminated by NBC and The New York Times unmistakably indicate that the attack planning encapsulated the minutest details, and there was an initial intent to inflict harm upon civilians, including children.
The Operation Al-Aqsa Flood Was During a Holiday
Misbar reviewed these documents—whose authenticity remains unverified—and discerned that they did indeed encompass a plan to assault the Kfar Saad settlement. The strategy involved an armed faction utilizing four-wheel-drive vehicles and motorcycles to forge a breach on the settlement fence's northwestern front. Subsequently, two factions would progress, each seizing control of either the eastern or western sectors of the settlement, with the objective of inflicting maximal human casualties and capturing prisoners.
However, neither of the two pages harbored any indications that the plan included targeting locales where children assemble, nor instructions mandating their killing or detention, contrary to the emphases of the newspapers that disseminated the document's narrative.
Moreover, media outlets overlooked the fact that the operation unfolded on Saturday, October 7, and in Israel, Saturday constitutes one of the official weekend days, implying that schools and educational centers were devoid of children.
Both Saturday and Sunday were also observances of a national Jewish holiday, 'Simchat Torah' ('Joy of the Torah'), during which all official entities and schools declare a holiday. Typically celebrated in religious centers, this festivity, following the concluding eighth day, Shemini Atzeret, of the Sukkot holiday, marks the completion of the annual cycle of Torah readings. Celebrations within the temple involve bearing the Torah scrolls and encircling them seven times. Children usually participate by carrying small flags and parading ahead of the adults.
A Zionist Youth Center was Targeted
In its report, NBC underscored that Hamas fighters targeted the Bnei Akiva Center for Youth, presenting it thus without delving into details about the center and its engagements.
Upon investigation, we found that Bnei Akiva stands as the largest religious Zionist youth movement globally, boasting over 125,000 members across 42 countries. Founded in Palestine during the British Mandate in 1929, it emanates as an extension of the Mizrahi Jewish movement. This movement gave birth to the first official religious Zionist party and established the Ministry of Religious Affairs in the State of Israel. Bnei Akiva also played a pivotal role prior to Israel's establishment, constructing a network of religious schools that facilitated the events of the Nakba and continues to endure to the present day.
The Bnei Akiva movement champions Israel's colonial pursuits in Palestine, holding a belief in the imperative of immigrating to the Land of Israel as a pivotal commandment in Judaism. Its members assert that the Jewish people's future is intrinsically tied to the State of Israel.
The movement has encompassed numerous Israeli decision-makers and politicians, including the notable former right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who was deeply engaged in the Zionist youth movement Bnei Akiva, which was instrumental in altering religious Zionism.
Initially, the leadership of the National Religious Party adhered to Zionism’s moderate wing regarding territorial issues and relations with Arabs, even displaying reluctant support for the 1967 war and opposing the 1982 Lebanon invasion. However, post the 1967 war, nationalism burgeoned within the party. Its young members, viewing the old guard's policies as tepid and hesitant, rebelled and started to advocate for colonizing the Palestinian territories. Bnei Akiva was integral to this new wave.
Unsubstantiated Claims of Hamas Killing 40 Infants
This was not the only instance of unverified stories being propagated about infanticide during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. Last Tuesday, i24 News, in its English edition, alleged that Hamas militants massacred 40 Israeli infants—most via beheading—in the 'Kfar Azza' settlement near the fence dividing the Gaza Strip. Many Western media outlets reported the story, which even found an echo in a speech by the U.S. President Joe Biden.
However, when Misbar traced the claim’s dissemination across international media shortly after its emergence, an anomaly was noted: it was not pervading Israeli Hebrew media, casting doubt. Had such news been accurate, it would have proliferated widely across prominent Israeli outlets, such as Channels 11, 12, and 13, and prominent Hebrew newspapers.
Around four hours post the news’s dissemination, the Anadolu Agency queried the Israeli army about the veracity of the children’s bodies. The spokesman refuted the claim contradicting what the i24 news anchor—who was part of a team of reporters who toured the settlement accompanied by occupation soldiers—had claimed.
Upon debunking the story and following the White House’s issuance of a statement clarifying that President Biden had not personally witnessed the incident as claimed in his address, the channel retracted its narrative. It conceded that the news had been reported based on an Israeli field soldier’s account without ample evidence. Similarly, the CNN correspondent who aired the news apologized for analogous reasons.
Al-Qassam Brigades Documents Its Interactions with Children
In rebuttal to unsubstantiated Israeli claims of Hamas fighters killing and beheading Israeli children, Al-Qassam Brigades released video clips illustrating its fighters’ treatment of settler children on last Saturday.
The disseminated recording exhibits Al-Qassam fighters carrying settler children, attempting to soothe and feed them. One resistance fighter appears, proclaiming, “Behold the mercy in our hearts. We will not kill them as you do.” Additionally, the footage displays Al-Qassam fighters consoling baby who was crying in his stroller.
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