Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made a historical comparison, referencing “Operation Carthage” during World War II, to justify civilian casualties in Gaza. Netanyahu drew parallels between Hamas and the Nazis and spoke of a tragic mishap that occurred during the Second World War.
In his recounting, Netanyahu claimed that in 1944, British Air Forces intended to target the Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen. However, they mistakenly bombed a children’s hospital, resulting in the death of 84 children. He emphasized that this wasn’t a war crime, and Britain wasn’t to be blamed. Netanyahu commented that the allies did not halt their fight against the Nazis due to such tragic outcomes.
However, DZWatch notes a correction in the historical event. The “Operation Carthage” took place on March 21, 1945, not 1944 as Netanyahu stated. The primary target was indeed the Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, but an unfortunate event described by the Royal Air Force as a “regrettable accident” and by Danish press as a “catastrophic mistake” led to the bombing of a French Catholic school, not a children’s hospital as claimed by Netanyahu. The accident was caused by a low-flying warplane crashing into a building, after which subsequent waves of aircraft, misled by the smoke from the burning school, targeted and bombed it. The tragic result was the death of 120 civilians, including 86 children.
Netanyahu’s argument is based on the premise that a technical error led to substantial “collateral damage”, drawing parallels with civilian deaths in Gaza, accusing Hamas of using them as “human shields”. He further stated that it’s imperative that no civilians die, urging Hamas to allow them into the safety zones established in southeast Gaza. He believes that Hamas prevents them from leaving conflict zones, shifting the blame onto the organization.
It’s worth mentioning that this isn’t the first instance of Netanyahu referencing this story. He has previously mentioned it during his tenure as Israel’s representative to the UN in the American program “Firing Line”, trying to argue that the mistake of Operation Carthage wasn’t an act of “terrorism”. He also discussed it in a 1997 book titled “Fighting Terrorism”.
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