As part of the Israeli propaganda surrounding the war in the Gaza Strip, Israeli social media accounts are sharing a photo alleging that occupation army soldiers assisted an elderly Palestinian man as he fled to the southern region of the Gaza Strip.
The “Israel in Arabic” account stated that the Israeli army soldiers adhere to the obligations and morals of Abrahamic religions, citing the instance of a soldier supposedly aiding the elderly Palestinian man.
The Occupation Army Killed a Palestinian Man After Taking Pictures of Helping Him
However, it later emerged that the picture circulated by Israeli accounts assisting the Palestinian elderly man, was a part of Israeli propaganda. Its aim was to portray occupation soldiers as protectors of civilians and aid providers, seemingly offering help rather than attacking them as they fled towards southern Gaza.
Subsequently, another picture, captured by the man's family, swiftly surfaced. The family claimed that the occupation army killed the man after the initial photo was taken.
The photo released by the family depicts Bashir Hijji, a 74-year-old resident of the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood in Gaza city, who was attempting to reach southern Gaza through Salah Al-Din street, but was executed in the field by occupation soldiers.
The subsequent image taken after he was killed reveals bullet holes on the body of the elderly man. He was attired in the same clothing as seen in the picture with the Israeli soldier, and his crutch was also found beside him.
Bashir Hijji’s Son Unveils Details of His Father’s Tragic End
Misbar found a testimony provided by Bashir Hijji’s son to Al-Araby TV on November 9, in which he recounted details on how his father was martyred by an Israeli sniper's bullets in Gaza.
The son said that on the early morning of November 9, an Israeli occupation army sniper killed his elderly father, Bashir Hijji, near Martyrs roundabout on Salah Al-Din street in Gaza.
According to him, his parents attempted to walk towards the southern area, but his father grew fatigues and stayed near the roundabout, unable to walk further. Upon returning to assist him, the son tragically found his father deceased inside one of the houses, having sustained gunshot wounds to his head and back.
Following the circulation of the initial image by Israeli accounts, Hala Hijji, a granddaughter of the victim, shared two pictures on her Instagram account, accompanied by a caption: “They portrayed to the world that they helped my grandfather, showcasing their humanity, when in fact, they killed him. God suffices me. My beloved grandfather, may your soul rest in Heaven."
Hala had announced her grandfather's death five days before the occupation army published their propaganda photo.
Euro-Med Monitor Condemns the Publication of Bashir Hijji’s Picture
"The Euro-Med human rights monitor strongly denounced the Israeli army's use of Bashir Hijji's photo for propaganda purposes regarding safe passage to the south. This act was deemed an attempt to conceal the Israeli army's crimes and atrocities against fleeing civilians.
In a statement, the Euro-Med monitor expressed its condemnation following the Israeli army's publication of a picture portraying one of its soldiers interacting with elderly man Bashir Hijji from the Al-Zeitoun neighborhood as he traversed Salah Al-Din street. The Israeli army aimed to portray itself as assisting Palestinian civilians and providing protection they are fleeing.
The monitor further asserted, “Our documentation confirms that Mr. Hijji was a victim of a field execution, revealing a deliberate distortion of facts by the Israeli army.”
Hala Hijji, the granddaughter, told the Euro-Med monitor that her grandfather, depicted in the Israeli occupation army’s picture, was “intentionally and brutally executed with multiple bullets to his head and back while attempting to flee."
The Occupation Army Killed an Old Woman in 2015 Following a Similar Picture
The killing of Bashir Hijji evokes the tragic story of another elderly Palestinian. In 2015, Avichay Adraee shared a photo showing occupation soldiers assisting and offering water to an elderly woman in Khuza’a, southern Gaza, during Operation Protective Edge.
However, what the picture released by the occupation army, and shared by Avichay Adraee, failed to reveal was the grim truth. The elderly woman in the image, Ghalia Al-Abed Abu Rida, who suffered from visual and motor disabilities, was immediately executed a few moments after the propaganda picture was taken.
Fleeing Operations to the South Not as Safe as Occupation Claims
Many Gaza inhabitants harbor fears of being targeted by Israeli occupation soldiers while attempting to flee southward. Recently, Israeli accounts published another propaganda video depicting occupation soldiers helping a family in their endeavor to flee south. In the video, a Palestinian woman is seen pleading with the soldiers to refrain from firing rockets or bombing them during their evacuation.
Previously, Misbar analyzed the Israeli narrative touting southern Gaza as a safe zone, ultimately determining it to be misleading. Occupation forces have been involved in several massacres during evacuation operations and have targeted numerous convoys with bombings.
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