Israel releases video after Hamas denies targeting civilians on October 7 attack – Firstpost

Israel’s military released disturbing footage on Sunday showing violent scenes from the October 7, 2023 attacks by
Hamas, pushing back against a new Hamas document that says its fighters did not intentionally target civilians.

In a post on X, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) shared what it said was about 10 minutes of previously published video showing Hamas attacks on civilians, including shootings and other brutality during the assault that led to the long-running Gaza war.

“These are not allegations. These are documented events,” the IDF wrote, saying the footage represents “a fraction” of the group’s actions that day.

The videos were released after Hamas published a 42-page “Our Narrative… Al-Aqsa Flood” document, which rejects claims that militants deliberately killed civilians, assaulted non-combatants or attacked hospitals and schools during the October 7 cross-border raids. The document also urges independent investigation of casualty claims by international courts.

Clash over competing narratives

Hamas’s publication frames the October 7 assault, which Israel and many outside observers describe as a massacre, as a broader historical moment and rejects accusations that its fighters intentionally harmed civilians.

But Israeli authorities argue that the newly released footage counters that narrative, showing scenes consistent with earlier reports of violence against civilians, abductions and slaughter, including at the Supernova music festival, where hundreds were killed and many more taken hostage.

Why it matters now

The renewed exchange comes two years after the initial attack, as both sides continue to battle over the Gaza conflict’s legacy and how history will remember those events.

Hamas’s manifesto is seen as part of its effort to shape international opinion, while Israel’s release of the videos looks to reinforce its claims about the nature of the assault and justify its ongoing security posture.