International Affairs
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After Denial Israel Now Admits
Killing Jewish Hostages
After nine months of denials, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) finally acknowledged on July 11 that they were responsible for killing Israeli hostages in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7.
The IDF admitted to firing an RPG into a house where hostages were being held, followed by tank shelling and a barrage of bullets.
Previously, Israel attempted to conceal this truth by propagating claims that Hamas was solely responsible for executing hostages and committing other atrocities. The extent of the IDF’s actions during the incident is still believed to be downplayed.
The Times of Israel provided these details toward the end of an extensive article about the IDF’s ongoing investigation into their failures on October 7. (Related: Israeli military investigation reveals many Oct. 7 Israeli casualties were caused by IDF rather than Hamas.)
Incident at Pessi Cohen’s house
The event at Pessi Cohen’s home in Be’eri was one of three hostage situations between terrorists and security forces during the October 7 attack. The other incidents occurred in Ofakim and at the Sderot police station.
According to the probe, Hamas terrorists gathered civilians from the southern neighborhood of Be’eri and took them to Cohen’s house. Six hostages were held outside in the yard and nine were inside the house, one of whom was already dead.
At 3:08 p.m., a report of hostages in Be’eri was mistakenly communicated as a situation at the dining hall rather than Cohen’s home. At 3:59 p.m., the terrorists contacted their superiors in Gaza, indicating the IDF’s arrival, a call which the military intercepted.
Unaware that hostages were inside, the elite Yamam unit fired a shoulder-launched missile towards Cohen’s home after receiving machine gun and RPG fire. Subsequently, Yamam and the Shin Bet security agency identified the house as the hostage location, not the dining hall.
By 5 p.m., Hazan’s tank had arrived, crushing several Hamas pickup trucks. During this time, one terrorist used a hostage, Yasmin Porat, as a human shield while surrendering, saving her life.
Brig. Gen. Hiram, present in Be’eri but not at the house, authorized the firing of light tank shells to pressure the terrorists. The first shell struck near the home at 5:33 p.m.
Arriving at 6 p.m., Hiram ordered the operation to conclude within 40 minutes due to the setting sun. After 20 minutes, he left to manage other incidents. By 6:27 p.m., a second shell was fired, followed by a third at 6:34 p.m., which caused shrapnel injuries and deaths.
A fourth shell targeted the roof at 6:57 p.m., intended to pressure the terrorists inside. The Times of Israel did not mention previous lies by Gen. Hiram, as reported by the Electronic Intifada.
Troops continued to face fire from surrounding homes. Chief Inspector Arnon Zmora, who was later killed in a hostage rescue mission in June, was among those trying to reach the hostages.
At 7:57 p.m., after hearing a burst of gunfire and subsequent silence, special forces entered the home, engaging in a gunfight with remaining terrorists. Only Hadas Dagan survived.
The causes of death for the other 13 hostages remain unclear, though many were likely killed by gunfire.
The IDF’s gradual release of these stories seems aimed at mitigating the impact of their actions. Recently, Haaretz was permitted to publish a story acknowledging that Israel killed their own people under the “Hannibal Directive.”
American media silence
American media has largely ignored these revelations, as reported by Mondoweiss. Despite the gravity of the admissions, major outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and NPR have remained silent. This omission is reminiscent of past instances where these media sources propagated falsehoods to support wars in the Middle East, influenced by Israeli government narratives.
In a just scenario, the Department of Justice would investigate the complicity of these media organizations with the Israeli government in misleading the American public. However, due to prevailing influences, such accountability is unlikely and those reporting on it risk being labeled as antisemitic.
This article was first published on WWIII.News on July 15, 2024, under the title “After months of denials, IDF finally admits responsibility for KILLING Israeli hostages on October 7”
Read other articles by Richard Brown here
Previously, Israel attempted to conceal this truth by propagating claims that Hamas was solely responsible for executing hostages and committing other atrocities. The extent of the IDF’s actions during the incident is still believed to be downplayed.
The Times of Israel provided these details toward the end of an extensive article about the IDF’s ongoing investigation into their failures on October 7. (Related: Israeli military investigation reveals many Oct. 7 Israeli casualties were caused by IDF rather than Hamas.)
Incident at Pessi Cohen’s house
The event at Pessi Cohen’s home in Be’eri was one of three hostage situations between terrorists and security forces during the October 7 attack. The other incidents occurred in Ofakim and at the Sderot police station.
According to the probe, Hamas terrorists gathered civilians from the southern neighborhood of Be’eri and took them to Cohen’s house. Six hostages were held outside in the yard and nine were inside the house, one of whom was already dead.
At 3:08 p.m., a report of hostages in Be’eri was mistakenly communicated as a situation at the dining hall rather than Cohen’s home. At 3:59 p.m., the terrorists contacted their superiors in Gaza, indicating the IDF’s arrival, a call which the military intercepted.
Jewish hostages killed by the IDF on October 7
By 5 p.m., Hazan’s tank had arrived, crushing several Hamas pickup trucks. During this time, one terrorist used a hostage, Yasmin Porat, as a human shield while surrendering, saving her life.
Brig. Gen. Hiram, present in Be’eri but not at the house, authorized the firing of light tank shells to pressure the terrorists. The first shell struck near the home at 5:33 p.m.
Arriving at 6 p.m., Hiram ordered the operation to conclude within 40 minutes due to the setting sun. After 20 minutes, he left to manage other incidents. By 6:27 p.m., a second shell was fired, followed by a third at 6:34 p.m., which caused shrapnel injuries and deaths.
A fourth shell targeted the roof at 6:57 p.m., intended to pressure the terrorists inside. The Times of Israel did not mention previous lies by Gen. Hiram, as reported by the Electronic Intifada.
Israel's Hannibal Directive allows
for killing its own people
At 7:57 p.m., after hearing a burst of gunfire and subsequent silence, special forces entered the home, engaging in a gunfight with remaining terrorists. Only Hadas Dagan survived.
The causes of death for the other 13 hostages remain unclear, though many were likely killed by gunfire.
The IDF’s gradual release of these stories seems aimed at mitigating the impact of their actions. Recently, Haaretz was permitted to publish a story acknowledging that Israel killed their own people under the “Hannibal Directive.”
American media silence
American media has largely ignored these revelations, as reported by Mondoweiss. Despite the gravity of the admissions, major outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN and NPR have remained silent. This omission is reminiscent of past instances where these media sources propagated falsehoods to support wars in the Middle East, influenced by Israeli government narratives.
In a just scenario, the Department of Justice would investigate the complicity of these media organizations with the Israeli government in misleading the American public. However, due to prevailing influences, such accountability is unlikely and those reporting on it risk being labeled as antisemitic.
Read other articles by Richard Brown here
Posted July 24, 2024
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