Israel’s official Arabic-language Twitter account cited a verse from the Quran late Tuesday in a tweet that also showed an apparent indiscriminate bombardment on Gaza.
The tweet featured a verse from the Quran’s Surah Al-Fil, which refers to God's punishment inflicted on the People of the Elephant, who tried to destroy the Holy Kaaba centuries ago.
“Have you not considered, how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant?” the tweet said, citing the first verse of the Surah.
“This is a reminder of God’s ability to support those who are righteous over falsehood, especially since Hamas is the arm of Iran that seeks to ignite the region,” Israel said in a follow-up tweet, labeling its aggression against the Palestinians, which has left scores of civilians including dozens of children killed so far, as a divinely-supported act.
Israel also added in the follow-up tweet that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) is attacking “Hamas targets” in Gaza.
The Israeli army has launched incessant attacks on Gaza since May 10, killing at least 212 Palestinians, including 61 children and 35 women, and injuring 1,400 others, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In its recent indiscriminate attacks, Israel has also targeted the press and Turkish journalists, drawing condemnation from press institutions around the world.
The airstrikes on Gaza were preceded by days of tension and Israeli aggression in occupied East Jerusalem, where hundreds of Palestinians were assaulted by Israeli forces at Al-Aqsa Mosque and in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the entire city in 1980, in a move that has never been recognized by the international community.
