On Dec. 12, the Israeli occupation army disclosed specific information to the press. According to the provided data, at least 20 soldiers were reported to have been killed during the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, attributed to "friendly fire or accidents." According to their assertions, this statistic represents one-fifth of the total casualties, indicating that 20% of the deaths occurred accidentally.
Considering that such a significant proportion of casualties resulted from accidental causes in a meticulously planned operation by a conventional military force, one can only speculate about the unforeseen challenges encountered during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Oct. 7.
Field data from that day vividly illustrates the devastation caused by gunfire from Israeli occupation army Apache helicopters, resulting in the festival area and surrounding cars being reduced to ashes. Notably, Israel's previous declaration to bury these vehicles, considered as evidence, under the guise of "respect for the deceased," adds a revealing layer to the narrative.
Videos unmistakably depict homes in the kibbutz being obliterated by tanks and heavy artillery fire. The well-known fact among the Israeli populace, familiar with the impact of hollow rockets in Tel Aviv, is that Hamas lacks weaponry capable of inflicting such extensive damage to residential structures. Thus, the stark reality emerges that the majority of civilian casualties on Oct. 7 were, in essence, the consequence of Israel's actions.
Corroborating this perspective are the accounts of surviving eyewitness Yasmin Porat. Porat, a survivor from Hamas, says the Israeli army is “undoubtedly” responsible for killing many of their civilians. A glance at the interview on Israeli state broadcaster Kan radio, albeit later expunged, sheds light on the official stance:
"I see people from the kibbutz on the lawn. There are five or six hostages lying on the ground outside just like sheep to the slaughter in the face of shooting by our (commandos) and the terrorists," the Israeli woman told the Kan's Haboker Hazeh radio program.
"The terrorists shoot them?" asked the program's host.
"No, they were killed by the crossfire. Understand there was very very heavy crossfire," explained Borat.
The host pressed, "So, our forces may have shot them?"
"Undoubtedly," she said. "They eliminated everyone, including the hostages. Because there was very very heavy crossfire."
"How were they all killed?" the host asked once again.
"Crossfire."
"Crossfire – so it could also be from shooting by our forces?"
"That's what I believe," she added.
On Oct. 7, Israel initially reported that 1,400 individuals had been killed by Hamas. However, a surprising revelation emerged a month later, indicating that 200 of the deceased were, in fact, Hamas members.
Consequently, the official count was adjusted downward to 1,200. It is pertinent to highlight that a substantial portion of the casualties consisted of members of the Israeli military.
The day characterized by Israel as the "largest Jewish atrocity since the Holocaust," namely Oct. 7, starkly exposes a significant civilian toll directly attributed to Israeli actions.
What they fail to grasp is the intrinsic connection between the ongoing occupation in Palestinian territories and the recurrent occurrences akin to Oct. 7. Until there is a fundamental shift in the occupation paradigm, occurrences like Oct. 7 will continue to unfold. Sooner or later, they will come to understand.
