A US news site has unveiled the truth behind the falsehood propagated by an Israeli reserve forces soldier who claimed that Palestinian resistance members beheaded children during their incursion into an Israeli settlement. This revelation comes in the wake of a military operation called “Storm of Al-Aqsa” launched by the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, in response to ongoing Israeli attacks against Palestinians. The soldier’s claims had been reiterated by President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with global media amplifying the narrative.
The Deceptive Story:
The “Gray Zone,” an American news blog, exposed the source of the baseless claims made by the Israeli reserve forces soldier, identified as David Ben-Zion, who happens to be the deputy commander of Unit 71 in the Israeli army. Notably, he is known for inciting violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank earlier this year.
In a recent interview with the “i24” network, Ben-Zion spoke of the alleged heinous acts, stating, “We went from house to house and killed several terrorists. They are pure evil. But we discovered that they are heartless as well.” However, just hours after this interview, a video emerged on Ben-Zion’s Facebook page, showing him smiling broadly, a striking contrast to someone supposedly witnessing systematic child killings.
Discrepancies in the Narrative:
On the same day, “i24” correspondent Nicole Zidik reported live from the settlement of Kfar Azza, suggesting that around 40 infants were “carried away on stretchers.” The Gray Zone website pointed out that Zidik’s unverified account was viewed millions of times on the i24 platform and promoted by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Soon after, Zidik amended her statement, saying, “Soldiers told me that they believe 40 babies and children were killed. The exact death toll is still unknown as the army continues to move from house to house, discovering more Israeli victims.”
Backtracking and Global Fallout:
The White House retracted President Biden’s statements expressing outrage over the graphic descriptions of the Al-Qassam fighters’ alleged actions. A spokesperson stated that neither President Biden nor any US official had independently seen any images or confirmed the accuracy of the reports. Biden’s comments had relied on statements from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson and Israeli media reports.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of verifying information before accepting it as fact. It also underscores the potential consequences of spreading unverified or misleading narratives, which can lead to international outrage and even strain diplomatic relations. In a world heavily reliant on the instant dissemination of information, the responsibility to discern the truth becomes even more critical.
