While Israeli officials announced that 19 terrorists were eliminated in Saturday’s strike, Hamas’s reports of nearly 100 civilian casualties have created an opposing narrative quickly accepted by world leaders and media.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry said 93 people were killed in the strike on the Hamas headquarters in al-Tabaeen school complex near a mosque in Gaza City’s Daraj and Tuffah areas.
“So far, there are more than 93 martyrs, including 11 children and six women. There are unidentified remains,” Palestinian civil defense spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal told a televised press conference, according to Reuters.
Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, said on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday that the IDF was being dishonest about the 19 terrorists eliminated.
“Exposing the lies of the Israeli army: Among the names of what the Israeli army claimed were Hamas fighters in al-Tabaeen School that were bombarded yesterday were Muntaser Daher and Yousef al Wadia,” Barghouti wrote. “It turned out that both of these people were already killed by the Israeli army in a completely different place 24 hours before the bombardment of al-Tabaeen School where 100 Palestinian civilians were killed.
“Other names on the Israeli list were names of children who could not be fighters.”
Exposing the lies of the Israeli army: Among the names of what the Israeli army claimed were Hamas fighters in the Tabein school that was bombarded yesterday were Muntaser Daher and yousef al Wadia. It turned out that both of these people were already killed by the Israeli army… pic.twitter.com/XAJSRoWq69
— Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1) August 11, 2024
Barghouti did not cite the source of his claims but included screenshots of Facebook posts.
Israel's narrative on the strike
Attaching footage to evidence his points, IDF international spokesperson Lt.-Col. Nadav Shoshani said Hamas’s narrative was based on “fake numbers.”
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes,” Shoshani wrote on X on Sunday. “Yet again, Hamas runs to the press with fake numbers without mention of the terrorist infrastructure that was in the complex.
“Yet again, Hamas hides behind civilians. Yet again, we strike Hamas terrorists precisely after taking the necessary precautions including the use of precise munitions to mitigate harm.
“As you can see, there is no significant cratering and damage to the main structure of the compound after the strike.
“Yet again, we remain committed to our values and international law. Our enemy does not.”
“A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”Yet again, Hamas runs to the press with fake numbers without mention of the terrorist infrastructure that was in the complex.Yet again, Hamas hides behind civilians.Yet again, we… pic.twitter.com/VA6w5vq63o
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) August 11, 2024
On Saturday, the IDF stated, “The strike was carried out using three precise munitions, which can not cause the amount of damage that is being reported.”
Reuters contributed to this report.