Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently condemned the Palestinian Authority's denial of responsibility by the terrorist group Hamas for the tragic October 7 massacre at a music festival in Israel.
The prime minister's remarks came following an official statement from the Palestinian Authority, which blamed "Israeli helicopters" for the deaths of hundreds of participants at the Supernova music festival near kibbutz Re'im, as per Fox News.
Netanyahu Denounces Palestinian Authority's Hamas Massacre Denial
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on as the US Secretary of State gives statements to the media inside The Kirya, which houses the Israeli Defence Ministry, after their meeting in Tel Aviv on October 12, 2023. Blinken arrived in a show of solidarity after Hamas's surprise weekend onslaught in Israel, an AFP correspondent travelling with him reported. He is expected to visit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Washington closes ranks with its ally that has launched a withering air campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu, addressing the nation in a video statement released in Hebrew and English, expressed disbelief at the PA's claim, calling it "utterly preposterous" and a "complete reversal of truth." He criticized PA President Mahmoud Abbas for denying the existence of the Hamas-led massacre, comparing it to his past denial of the Holocaust.
"Today, the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah said something utterly incredible. It denied that it was Hamas that carried out the horrible massacre at the nature festival near Gaza. It actually accused Israel of carrying out that massacre. This is a complete reversal of truth. Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas), who in the past has denied the existence of the Holocaust, today is denying the existence of the Hamas massacre, and that's unacceptable," Netanyahu asserted.
The Israeli Prime Minister also addressed the ongoing conflict with Hamas, reiterating his strong opposition to the idea that the Palestinian Authority would rule the Gaza Strip following the Israel-Hamas war.
He emphasized his goal for the aftermath of the conflict, stating, "My goal is that the day after we destroy Hamas, any future civil administration in Gaza does not deny the massacre, does not educate its children to become terrorists, does not pay for terrorists, and does not tell its children that their ultimate goal in life is to see the destruction and dissolution of the State of Israel. That's not acceptable, and that is not the way to achieve peace," according to Times Of Israel.
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Allegations of Hamas Base at Al Shifa Hospital Intensify
Simultaneously, Netanyahu labeled as "preposterous" the Palestinian National Authority's claim that Israel massacred its own civilians at the music festival near Gaza. He criticized Abbas's remarks, stating that they were unacceptable and not conducive to achieving peace in the region.
In a separate development, Israel has heightened its allegations of Hamas terrorists using Gaza's largest medical facility, Al Shifa Hospital, as a base. From a video released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), two foreign hostages-a Nepalese and a Thai civilian-were being held at Al Shifa Hospital following the October 7 attack by Hamas.
The IDF had initiated raids on Al Shifa Hospital on November 15, arguing that Hamas was using the medical facility as a command center with networks of tunnels running underneath. The raids were part of Israel's ground offensive to eliminate Hamas, a response to the deadly attack by the terror group on the Jewish nation on October 7.
According to Palestinian officials, more than 11,500 people have lost their lives in Gaza during the conflict, while around 1,200 were reported killed in Israel. As tensions persist, the international community closely monitors the situation, hoping for a resolution that brings lasting peace to the region, India Today reported.
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