Israel-Hamas Thread II

[Benaiah468]

The Arab states have repeatedly paid lip service to the Palestinian cause. They maintain these camps and the miserable living conditions that prevail there in order to pressure Israel into granting a "right of return", which would allow millions of Palestinians to flood the Jewish state and destroy its Jewish majority and thus its very existence (Neither under the general international conventions, nor under the major UN resolutions, do the "Palestinian" refugees have a right to return to Israel). Arab leaders do not care whether the refugees live or die.

In the current war between Israel and Hamas, Egypt has kept its border with the Gaza Strip closed because it does not want "Palestinian" terrorists to enter the country and destabilize Egypt. Jordan has also refused to take in "Palestinians" caught between the fronts in the war between Israel and Hamas. In fact, not a single Arab state has offered refuge to the "Palestinians".

In short, most Arab states view "Palestinians"" as pariahs and use them as a tool to achieve their own goals. They have kept "Palestinians" impoverished and stateless, refusing to integrate them into their societies in the hope that this would support "Palestinian" self-determination.

Nevertheless, Arab states continue to condemn Israel's treatment of the "Palestinians".

As it turns out, Gazans have steadily emigrated from the Strip for years, with few political repercussions abroad.

In Gaza, a recent "Palestinian" research study noted,

Since 2007, local reports have confirmed that over 250,000 youths migrated from the Gaza Strip in pursuit of a thriving life in Europe. In August 2023, alone, there were over 16,700 Turkish visa applications submitted by young adults living in the Gaza Strip’s five governorates.

And all of this movement occurred before the war, one can only imagine today’s pent-up demand for leaving the Strip and seeking a better life elsewhere.

Arab states currently reject the very idea of voluntary relocation because they fear numerous Gazans would in fact take that option, more than their societies can absorb.

Postwar plans for Gaza on the concept of voluntary refugee resettlement could result in 40 percent or more of the Strip’s total population leaving of their own accord. If half of Gaza’s refugee population chose to relocate over a ten-year reconstruction period, that would average out to around 70,000 per year. Finding homes for 70,000 per year is not an insurmountable burden.

 

[Benaiah468]

The fundamental problem of the conflict is that Israel resettled around 600,000 Jewish refugees from the Muslim world, while the Arab-Muslim nations that attacked it did not. Together with the UN, they insisted on keeping them under the false identity of "Palestinians" as an eternal occupying army and forming them into terrorist groups for an endless war with Israel.

One must learn from history. One cannot make the same mistake over and over again.

For over 30 years, every possible effort has been made to create a "Palestinian" state. After several peace proposals, land concessions, endless rounds of negotiations and taxpayer money (over $2 billion from USAID to the "Palestinians" since 7 Oct alone), nothing has worked.

When Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, leaving behind greenhouses and plans for new industries as well as considerable international funds, Hamas turned it into a war zone.

Proponents of a two-state solution continue to argue that if Israel were to offer even more land and expel and resettle even more Jews, the Muslim terrorists would finally agree to a lasting peace.

But there has never been the slightest evidence that this would work. None of Israel's proposals and concessions since the late 1980s have led to any kind of peace.

The PLO and Hamas used terrorism at every turn to force further Israeli concessions without giving anything in return. Their leaders have repeatedly declared that they want to destroy Israel.

Diplomats insisted that there could be no peace without the expulsion and resettlement of Jews from Judea and Samaria. President Trump turned the tables and said that there could be no peace without the resettlement of Arab Muslims from Gaza.

Which makes more sense?

President Trump is a visionary, and his idea has reframed the entire view of the conflict. Even if it may only be an opening for a negotiating position, there is no doubt that it has shaken up all the conventional wisdom in the Middle East. His basic assumption that Gaza is a beautiful place but will be a source of conflict as long as it is populated by Islamic terrorists and their supporters is fundamentally correct.

The moral and practical objections to it are unfounded. Resettlement is feasible and moral. If the Kuwaitis and Jordanians could resettle the "Palestinians" from their countries for far less reason than the atrocities of 7 Oct, the Israelis certainly have the right to do so.

The politicians, diplomats and reporters who advocated the mass resettlement of more than a half a million Jews have no moral grounds for opposing the resettlement of Muslims from Gaza.

And after trying everything else, including decades of unsuccessful efforts to make peace with the terrorists or to coexist with them despite the lack of peace, it is time to do what makes the most sense for everyone and offers the only hope for peace in the region.

 

[essentialsaltes]

UAE warns White House that Israeli annexations could unravel Abraham Accords​

Israel is considering annexing large portions of the West Bank later this month in response to the recognition of a Palestinian state by several western countries. President Trump is likely the only foreign player who could stop it. The UAE message is that if he doesn't, a key aspect of his foreign policy legacy could unravel.

The Emirati position is significant because the UAE was the first Arab country to condemn the Oct. 7 attacks, has maintained relations with Israel throughout the war in Gaza and even worked with the Israeli government on a post-war plan.

• But the Emiratis have made clear in private and in public that they see annexation of parts of the West Bank as a "red line."
• President Trump blocked planned Israeli annexations twice in his first term, but hasn't taken a position yet this time around.
• Two Israeli officials claim Secretary of State Marco Rubio has signaled in private meetings that he doesn't oppose West Bank annexations and the Trump administration won't stand in the way.
• Rubio already spearheaded the barring of Palestinian officials from attending the UN General Assembly later this month — part of a string of moves the administration has made against the Palestinian Authority.

Smotrich proposes annexing 82% of West Bank in bid to prevent Palestinian state​

As UAE warns annexation a ‘red line,’ finance minister threatens PA with ‘destruction’ in plan that would isolate Palestinian population centers, leave them outside Israel​

Smotrich, who chairs the far-right Religious Zionism party and is in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank, supports annexation of the West Bank and Gaza, and is an adamant opponent of Palestinian statehood.

 

[Benaiah468]

Israel is considering annexing large portions of the West Bank later this month in response to the recognition of a Palestinian state by several western countries.

There is a good reason why the Arab world and the anti-Israel left insist on using the misleading and geographically inaccurate term "West Bank" when referring to the regions of Judea and Samaria. And that is something to keep in mind.

The Arab world and its woke allies have no problem referring to all other places in the Middle East by their biblical names: Beersheba, Galilee, Jordan, Gaza, Damascus, Lebanon, Tyre, Sidon, and of course Jerusalem, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Nazareth.

Judea and Samaria should be called by their proper names and not by the woke term that aims to rob the 800,000 Jews who live there of their heritage and their land.

These terms are ubiquitous in the Bible, with more than 100 mentions of Samaria alone in the Tanakh and in the Gospels.

Anyone who truly wants to understand the region must refer to it by its original name: Judea and Samaria. And they must be aware of its
deep-rooted biblical, historical and legal significance.

These areas, also known as the biblical heartland of Israel, include places of inestimable spiritual significance. It was here that King David was born, here that he reigned, here that the Temple stood on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, here that G-d met Abraham, and here that the Messiah was born in Bethlehem, as the prophets had foretold

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; Micah 5:2a

One of the first biblical promises to the people of Israel takes place in Shechem, today's Nablus, in the middle of Samaria. There G-d says to Abraham:

Unto thy seed will I give this land: Gen 12:7

G-d promised Abraham and his descendants Isaac and Jacob the land of Canaan and the emergence of a great nation that would descend from Jacob's twelve sons and form the so-called Twelve Tribes of Israel.

G-d confirms this promise several times. He calls on Abraham to walk through the land, from Hebron to Bethel, from Jerusalem to Samaria. The names of these places are still familiar to us today, often Arabised, but unmistakably Jewish.

And the image is also clear in the NT:

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Mt 2:1

Even if the Arab world and the anti-Israel left insist on using the misleading and geographically inaccurate term "West Bank," this does not affect Israel's legitimate claim to the ancient Jewish regions of Judea and Samaria.

 

[Benaiah468]

Smotrich, who chairs the far-right Religious Zionism party and is in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank, supports annexation of the West Bank and Gaza, and is an adamant opponent of Palestinian statehood.

The twelve tribes of Israel are the bearers of G-d's promises #202. When the land was divided by lot, Judah, the largest tribe in terms of population, receives the largest tract of land, encompassing most of southern Canaan (known as Judea). Gaza was assigned to Judah as a share of its inheritance and later conquered by this tribe. The tribe of Joseph, which later split into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, received the mountainous region of Samaria. These historical territories formed the heart of the ancient Israelite homeland, with Judea located south of Jerusalem and Samaria to its north.

In 1964, the PLO was founded. Its goal was to destroy Israel in order to establish a state called "Palestine". This was an essential step in the Arabs in Israel/"Palestine" becoming a kind of "people" and giving themselves their own identity: the "Palestinians". Before that, this "people" did not exist, let alone a "Palestinian" state.

In short: the State of Israel has existed since 1948, and the Arabs/"Palestinians" have systematically rejected every opportunity to establish their own state. One thing is clear, however: there can be no question of "annexation".

 

[Benaiah468]

The images of collapsing high-rise buildings in the heart of Gaza City are more than military operations, they are a message. For the second time in two days, the Israeli army has razed a high-rise building to the ground after issuing precise evacuation warnings. It marks the beginning of a new phase: Israel wants to bring the metropolis under its control and make it clear to Hamas that its days are numbered.

Israel justifies the attacks with clear facts. The Al-Susi high-rise in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood served as an observation post for the terrorist organization, equipped with surveillance technology to track the movements of Israeli troops. Explosives were found in the vicinity, and an underground tunnel system used to control terrorist attacks ran directly adjacent to it. For Israel, it was clear: anyone who surrenders their neighbourhood to Hamas risks it becoming a theatre of war.

The operation is accompanied by evacuation measures that no other army in the region carries out in this form: leaflets, precise warnings, aerial reconnaissance, the use of precision weapons. Defense Minister Israel Katz published the images of the collapse himself with the words:

"We will continue".

The message is clear: Israel will not stop the offensive until Hamas lays down its weapons, releases the hostages, and its terrorist structures disappear.

At the same time, the army is urging the civilian population to leave the city and go to the humanitarian zones set up by Israel in the south. Field hospitals, water pipes, desalination plants, food and medicine depots have been set up in Khan Younis. Colonel Avichay Adraee, IDF spokesman in Arabic, addressed the residents directly:

"Take advantage of this opportunity and join the thousands who have already fled there."

Israel wants to show that it is extending a hand, those who are not part of the terror will receive protection and supplies.

But Hamas has a different goal: it relies on the suffering of civilians and images of death and destruction to attack Israel morally. Hence the claims of famine and genocide, which have not been independently confirmed and which Israel strongly rejects. Aid deliveries are repeatedly intercepted or misused, a systematic pattern that keeps the terror alive.

The fact that Egypt, through its Foreign Minister Abdelatty, is now also talking about forced displacement shows the political dimension of the war. Israel counters that it is not Israeli soldiers who are truly imprisoning the people of Gaza, but Hamas, which is robbing them of any future. Netanyahu emphasized on Friday that every person has the right to freely choose their place of residence.

Meanwhile, the army continues to advance: according to its own statements, it already controls 40 percent of Gaza City and around
three-quarters of the entire strip. With every tower destroyed, Hamas loses its eyes, its command centers, and its propaganda machines. The goal remains unchanged an end to the reign of terror that began on Oct 7, 2023, and on that day caused the greatest massacre of Jews since the Shoah.

For the residents of Gaza City, this means difficult decisions. Many know that Hamas is abusing them as human shields. Others doubt whether the humanitarian zones really provide safety. But one thing is clear: Israel will not stop the operation as long as Hamas hostages are in captivity and terrorist structures exist.

The coming weeks will show whether the population will head south or whether Hamas will continue to hold them in a stranglehold. Israel has opened the door, but whether it will be used depends on the people themselves.

 

[Benaiah468]

Almost two years after Oct 7, sources in Gaza report the targeted killing of Mahmoud Afaneh, the Hamas terrorist who celebrated the murder of ten Jews on the phone in front of his parents, who cheered him on.

The report from Gaza sounds like a belated response to one of the most gruesome voices heard on Oct 7, 2023. At that time, Mahmoud Afaneh, a member of Hamas, called his parents from Kibbutz Mefalsim while the blood of his victims was still on his hands.

"Aba, I killed ten people with my own hands! Their blood is on me,“

he yelled into the phone. His father and mother did not stop him; on the contrary, they cheered him on, shouting

”Kill, kill, kill!"

over and over again. That moment revealed not only the barbarity of the individual, but also the ideological blindness of an entire family.

Now, several "Palestinian" channels are reporting that Afaneh was eliminated in Gaza on Saturday. There has been no official confirmation from Israel yet, but the news spread quickly on social media. If the report is confirmed, then one of the most brutal faces of the massacre has been put to an end.

The scene of that phone call is burned into Israel's collective memory. The conversation was later played back before the United Nations Security Council. Israel's then-Foreign Minister Eli Cohen described October 7 as

"the world's awakening to the brutality of Islamism"

and compared Hamas' actions to the massacres carried out by the so-called Islamic State. Cohen warned that anyone who heard Afaneh's words would hear the true face of the hatred that had descended upon Israel on Oct 7.

Israel experienced a turning point whose consequences continue to shape the country to this day. The name Afaneh is emblematic of the perversion of violence that was staged not in the shadows, but with pride. The fact that he allowed his own parents to participate in the murders live is a testament to moral decay.

Almost two years later, reports from Gaza now announce his death. Whether it was a targeted strike or an internal settling of scores remains unclear. But the symbolic significance is obvious: the man who acted as executioner on Oct 7 and sold the murder of ten Jews as a personal triumph is himself no longer alive.

For the victims' families, this does not mean an end to their pain. There is no redress for what happened. But in a country still grappling with the trauma of that date, the news could be a moment of justice for some, not as a substitute, but as a painful but necessary signal: those who celebrate killing will ultimately be hunted down themselves.

The fact that Afaneh's parents did not stop him at the time, but instead encouraged him to kill, also highlights the deep-rooted culture of glorifying terror in parts of Palestinian society. Where parents feel pride instead of horror, the next generation of murderers grows up. Israel is not only fighting terrorists, but also an environment that morally legitimizes their crimes.

 

[Benaiah468]

Chaos, panic, death: Twenty people have been killed at a relief supplies center run by the American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) near Khan Yunis, not by Israeli fire, but by violence from within their own ranks. The culprits are in Gaza and they are wearing balaclavas.

A tragedy has shaken humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip: according to official GHF figures, 19 Palestinians were trampled to death on Wednesday morning during a mass panic near the SDS3 distribution center. Another was stabbed to death. But what is shocking is not only the number of victims, it is the cause. The aid organization is making serious accusations against Hamas: armed fighters from the terrorist organization are said to have deliberately mingled with the crowd and deliberately caused chaos.

The GHF is one of the few remaining organizations that can still distribute aid supplies in Gaza in a reasonably structured manner, with US personnel, clear security protocols, and a high level of commitment. But on Wednesday morning, the situation escalated:

"It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that 20 people lost their lives in a tragic incident at the SDS3 center in Khan Yunis,"

the official statement said.

"Nineteen of them were trampled to death in the crush, and one person was stabbed to death - all triggered by a dangerous and chaotic commotion initiated by troublemakers within the crowd."

By troublemakers, the organization does not mean frustrated civilians, but armed men with direct links to Hamas. For the first time since the mission began, the GHF has officially reported firearms in the vicinity of its aid centers. A rifle was even confiscated. Furthermore, an American GHF employee reported being threatened with a weapon by one of the Hamas members.

What is happening here is no exception, it is strategy. Hamas is exploiting humanitarian emergencies to demonstrate its power, provoke images of chaos, and discredit international organizations. According to GHF, false information has been deliberately spread via Telegram in recent days: incorrect opening hours, non-existent aid stations, fictitious locations. People were deliberately lured to places that were not even open, all to create confusion and overwhelm.

And the goal is clear: to make Israel appear to be obstructing aid, to get Western aid workers to abandon their efforts, and to further fuel their own narrative of alleged genocide. What is being destroyed in the process: lives.

The GHF, which operates under extreme risk, has now also issued a public warning:

"There is every reason to believe that armed Hamas supporters deliberately provoked riots within the crowd,"

it says.

"We mourn the loss of life - but we remain committed to providing safe and responsible humanitarian aid."

But how long can this aid remain safe?

When even American aid workers are threatened with weapons?

When every distribution operation becomes a stage for terror?

And when international media prefer to report on alleged Israeli blockades instead of naming this deliberate sabotage?

In this incident, Hamas is showing its true colors, once again. Anyone who mixes armed men with starving families does not want help, but headlines. Anyone who causes chaos does not want supplies, but escalation. And anyone who holds a microphone in one hand and a rifle in the other is not a freedom fighter, but a terrorist.

Israel continues to allow international aid, under difficult conditions and at constant risk to its own population. But what good is the safest corridor arrangement if Hamas itself uses hunger and need for aid as a weapon?

The West, the UN, and the humanitarian community must finally be honest: aid for Gaza is necessary. But as long as Hamas controls Gaza, every aid operation is also a risk and every distribution point a potential crime scene.

 

[Benaiah468]

The endless list of Palestinian refugees must come to an end

Only among Palestinians is refugeehood passed down from generation to generation, with their numbers continuing to grow, even if they obtain citizenship elsewhere. This means that even an American citizen can be counted as a Palestinian refugee. A case in point: US Muslim millionaire Mohamed Hadid, father of five, including two famous fashion models, is classified under UNRWA as a Palestinian refugee. Hadid was born in Nazareth in November 1948, months after Israel’s founding, during the War of Independence. His family moved to Lebanon, then to Syria, and finally settled in the United States. This is an example of the absurdity in the definition of Palestinian refugeehood. (Excerpt)

docs.un.org. 9607th meeting (p.19)

In addition to creating supermodels, Mohamed Hadid is known for creating supermansions, as in the case of Le Belvedere, a massive and elaborate Bel Air estate that sold for a record-setting $50 million in 2010.

 

[rjs330]

Chaos, panic, death: Twenty people have been killed at a relief supplies center run by the American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) near Khan Yunis, not by Israeli fire, but by violence from within their own ranks. The culprits are in Gaza and they are wearing balaclavas.

A tragedy has shaken humanitarian work in the Gaza Strip: according to official GHF figures, 19 Palestinians were trampled to death on Wednesday morning during a mass panic near the SDS3 distribution center. Another was stabbed to death. But what is shocking is not only the number of victims, it is the cause. The aid organization is making serious accusations against Hamas: armed fighters from the terrorist organization are said to have deliberately mingled with the crowd and deliberately caused chaos.

The GHF is one of the few remaining organizations that can still distribute aid supplies in Gaza in a reasonably structured manner, with US personnel, clear security protocols, and a high level of commitment. But on Wednesday morning, the situation escalated:



the official statement said.



By troublemakers, the organization does not mean frustrated civilians, but armed men with direct links to Hamas. For the first time since the mission began, the GHF has officially reported firearms in the vicinity of its aid centers. A rifle was even confiscated. Furthermore, an American GHF employee reported being threatened with a weapon by one of the Hamas members.

What is happening here is no exception, it is strategy. Hamas is exploiting humanitarian emergencies to demonstrate its power, provoke images of chaos, and discredit international organizations. According to GHF, false information has been deliberately spread via Telegram in recent days: incorrect opening hours, non-existent aid stations, fictitious locations. People were deliberately lured to places that were not even open, all to create confusion and overwhelm.

And the goal is clear: to make Israel appear to be obstructing aid, to get Western aid workers to abandon their efforts, and to further fuel their own narrative of alleged genocide. What is being destroyed in the process: lives.

The GHF, which operates under extreme risk, has now also issued a public warning:



it says.



But how long can this aid remain safe?

When even American aid workers are threatened with weapons?

When every distribution operation becomes a stage for terror?

And when international media prefer to report on alleged Israeli blockades instead of naming this deliberate sabotage?

In this incident, Hamas is showing its true colors, once again. Anyone who mixes armed men with starving families does not want help, but headlines. Anyone who causes chaos does not want supplies, but escalation. And anyone who holds a microphone in one hand and a rifle in the other is not a freedom fighter, but a terrorist.

Israel continues to allow international aid, under difficult conditions and at constant risk to its own population. But what good is the safest corridor arrangement if Hamas itself uses hunger and need for aid as a weapon?

The West, the UN, and the humanitarian community must finally be honest: aid for Gaza is necessary. But as long as Hamas controls Gaza, every aid operation is also a risk and every distribution point a potential crime scene.

Thank you for the consistent updates that are proving over and over again that it is HAMAS that is creating all the problems over there.

 

[Abraxos]

Daily reminder: No rapes occurred on the October 7 attack.

Also, “Israel” lied about 40 beheaded babies.

Carry on.

 

[Benaiah468]

Thank you for the consistent updates that are proving over and over again that it is HAMAS that is creating all the problems over there.

You 're welcome. Anytime!

As cancer corrodes the body, Hamas corrodes Gaza.

 

[Benaiah468]

As cancer corrodes the body, Hamas corrodes Gaza.

There is a bustle of activity at the Kerem Shalom border crossing. Rows of lorries pass through the gate, loaded with food, medical supplies and all kinds of relief goods. On paper, the figures are impressive: since May, more than 11,000 aid transports carrying countless tonnes of basic supplies

But when you talk to the drivers themselves, the picture painted by the official statistics gives way to a shocking reality. They report systematic diversion of relief supplies, hijacking by armed groups, primarily Hamas, and a black market that is bleeding the already desperate population even more.

One of the drivers, let's call him Samer, does not want his real name published.

"People outside hear that tonnes of aid are coming to Gaza and think the situation must be improving. But that's not true. Much of it disappears along the way. Hamas takes what it wants. We see it with our own eyes and we are powerless to do anything about it".

As he speaks, he appears tense, repeatedly glancing over his shoulder. The fear of speaking openly is a constant companion.

Khaled, another driver, confirms these impressions. He used to work as a chef in Jaffa and knows what life in Israel is like. Today, he sits behind the wheel of a lorry that brings aid supplies to Gaza and has to watch as the cargo disappears into the hands of armed men.

"We used to live like kings, but now we're living like beggars",

he says bitterly.

"Everything is gone. Potatoes, tomatoes, chickens, nothing is reaching the people anymore. On the black market, a kilo of vegetables costs a fortune. And everyone knows who is profiting from this".

In fact, several drivers independently report identical prices: 100 shekels for staple foods such as potatoes, tomatoes or poultry, a price level that is unattainable for many families. That's about 30 USD per kilo, sums that explain the hunger among the population. The black market is not just a side effect, it has become an instrument of power. Those who pay get what they want; those who cannot pay go away empty-handed.

Mohammed, a third driver, sums it up:

"We live as if in exile, trapped in our own city. Hamas has destroyed our lives. They have taken everything from us. We want peace, we want normality. Israel is better than all the others. I say that from the bottom of my heart."

These are words that are rarely heard in the Western media. But at the Kerem Shalom crossing, where truck drivers commute between two worlds, this view is gaining ground.

It is also remarkable how directly many drivers answer the question of blame. The same sentence comes up again and again:

"Hamas is to blame".

One of them says openly:

"They are not fighters, they are not believers. They don't want religion, only weapons and power."

This clarity is surprising, but at the same time it shows how wide the gap between the population and those in power has grown. While Hamas talks of "resistance", its own people see destroyed houses, hunger and a black market that robs them of all hope.

Israel itself is assessed in these conversations in a strikingly different way than public perception often leads us to believe. Several drivers describe how they had work and income under Israeli administration, how they lived peacefully with Israelis and now recognise the difference all the more clearly.

"If Israel came and took over Gaza, we would live in peace. We are now paying the price for the mistakes of others,"

says one of them, staring blankly into the dusty distance.

The picture that emerges here is not one of heroic resistance, but of a population that feels betrayed by Hamas. While international convoys are celebrated outside, the people inside are losing faith in aid. The truck brings in the goods, but hope remains outside.

The drivers' voices are not political programmes, they are life stories. They make it clear that there is a deep divide between the official narrative of humanitarian aid and the reality in Gaza. And they show how much Hamas abuses its own population, while Israel continues to facilitate deliveries despite all the attacks.

Anyone who listens to them understands that the truth often lies where it is least sought: with the ordinary people who pay the price day after day. Their message is clear and it is not directed against Israel, but against those who wield power in Gaza.

 

[Benaiah468]

It was one of those stories designed to tug at the heartstrings: a little boy named Amir, only eight years old, allegedly shot dead by Israeli soldiers in May, right in front of an aid centre in Gaza. Photos, interviews, eyewitness accounts, everything fit the usual narrative of the child victim who allegedly fell victim to "Israeli gunfire". Politicians and commentators spread the story, and the international media eagerly picked it up. And the outrage was there, as planned.

But the truth was different. The boy is alive. His real name is Abed al-Rahim Muhammad Hamdan, nicknamed Aboud, and he has just been brought out of the confines and violence of the Gaza Strip with his mother. In an interview with Fox News, he even laughed:

"It's nice to be outside Gaza".

A sentence as innocent as it is devastating, because it exposes a story that was never true.

x.com

At the centre of the lie was Tony Aguilar, a former employee of the Global Humanitarian Fund (GHF). He claimed to have seen the child fatally struck by Israeli fire. First he described one location, then another. Sometimes he spoke of shots to the chest and legs, sometimes of a completely different scene. The more he talked, the more he contradicted himself. Eventually, he was dismissed from the organisation. But by then it was too late, the story of Amir had gone viral.

The NGO itself later had to admit that Aguilar's alleged evidence was worthless. An internal video showed that his only encounter with the child was to briefly approach him and tell him to go home. There was no trace of a fatal shot. The family was alive, but suddenly, due to the international campaign of lies, they were in danger of being targeted by Hamas.

Because that's where the real problem begins: stories like this are not harmless misunderstandings. They are deliberate instruments of propaganda. A dead boy is a symbol, a lever to portray Israel as a murderer. The fact that this boy is still alive has long since ceased to matter in the minds of many. The images of outrage stick, the truth remains weak.

For Israel, this means once again that it is not only fighting terrorists, but also narratives that are used as weapons. When international media and NGOs uncritically adopt such fake stories, they not only give propagandists a megaphone, but also expose children and families to real danger.

At the end of this scandal is a living boy who is experiencing his first taste of freedom outside the Gaza Strip. But it also leaves a dead remnant of credibility for those who are willing to believe the worst about Israel, even if it is not true.