بتسيلم – أفراد عائلة حمد
בצלם – בני משפחת חמד
THE B’TSELEM FALSE NARRATIVE
(taken from the B’Tselem webpage)
B’Tselem has also received initial information regarding a home bombed in Beit Hanun as part of a targeted assassination: B’Tselem’s initial investigation indicates that on 8 July 2014, at approximately 11:40 P.M., the military bombed the home of Hafez Hamad, an activist in the military wing of the Islamic Jihad. According to the investigation, none of the inhabitants received prior warning from the military and the house was bombed mere moments after the family went to bed for the night. The bombing killed six persons, including a 16-year-old girl.
The persons killed:
Dunia Mahdi Hamad, 16
Mahdi Muhammad Hamad, 46
Fawziya Khalil Hamad, 62
Hafez Hamad, 30
Suha Hamad (wife of Hafez), 25
Ibrahim Muhammad Hamad, 26
A statement issued this morning by the IDF Spokesperson read: “A joint IDF-ISA operation led to the successful IAF targeting of Hafez Hamid, 77′, a commander in the Islamic Jihad. Hamid was responsible for the recent rocket attacks against Sderot.” According to the statement, the house was bombed as part of the assassination of Hafez Hamad. The bombing took place at night, when the military should have known that family members would most likely be present. B’Tselem’s initial investigation also indicates that none of the inhabitants was given prior warning. These circumstances indicate that the attack was disproportionate and raise grave suspicion that the incident violated international humanitarian law.
Ibrahim Muhammad Ahmad Hamad
35 years old, resident of Beit Hanun, North Gaza District, killed on 08 Jul 2014 in Beit Hanoun, North Gaza District, by gunfire from an aircraft during the course of a targeted killing. Did not participate in hostilities Additional information: Killed at home along with five other members of his family when his brother Hafez Hamad was assassinated.
Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad Hamad
40 years old, resident of Beit Hanun, North Gaza District, killed on 08 Jul 2014 in Beit Hanoun, North Gaza District, by gunfire from an aircraft during the course of a targeted killing. Did not participate in hostilities Additional information: Killed at home along with five other members of his family when his brother Hafez Hamad was assassinated.
FALSEHOOD #1
“… the military bombed the home of Hafez Hamad, an activist in the military wing of the Islamic Jihad.”
FALSEHOOD #2
“…none of the inhabitants received prior warning from the military….”
FALSEHOOD #3
“… the house was bombed mere moments after the family went to bed for the night.”
FALSEHOOD #4
” … the house was bombed as part of the assassination of Hafez Hamad.”
FALSEHOOD #5
“These circumstances indicate that the attack was disproportionate and raise grave suspicion that the incident violated international humanitarian law.”
FALSEHOOD #6
Ibrahim Muhammad Ahmad Hamad …. Did not participate in hostilities
FALSEHOOD #7
Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad Hamad …. Did not participate in hostilities
THE FACTUAL NARRATIVE
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رحلة الخلود
في مساء اليوم الأول من العدوان الصهيوني الأخير على قطاع غزة اعتقد العدو بأنه لابد الانتقام من هذا المجاهد الصنديد نظراً لنشاطه المقاوم الفاعل، فقامت طائرات العدو الصهيوني بتاريخ 2014/7/8م باستهدافه في حديقة منزله برفقة 5 من أفراد عائلته وهم: والدته الشهيدة فوزية حمد وزوجته الشهيدة سها حمد وشقيقيه مهدي محمد حمد وابنته دينا مهدي حمد وشقيقه الشهيد إبراهيم محمد حمد.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Eternity journey
On the evening of the first day of the last Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip, the enemy believed that it was necessary to take revenge against this hardened fighter due to his effective resistance activities. On 7/8/2014, planes of the Zionist enemy targeted him in the garden of his home, accompanied by 5 members of his family, namely: his martyr mother, Fawzia Hamad And his martyr wife, Suha Hamad, his two brothers Mahdi Muhammad Hamad, his daughter Dina Mahdi Hamad, and his martyr brother Ibrahim Muhammad Hamad.
THE MILITARY ADVOCATE GENERAL CORPS
Allegation Concerning an Attack on a Senior Commander in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hafet Hamed (8 July 2014) –
In reports received by the MAG Corps, and in correspondence from various NGOs, it was alleged that on 8 July 2014, six members of the Hamed family were killed as a result of an IDF strike on their home (later correspondence from NGOs alleges that seven people were killed). As a result, and in accordance with the MAG’s investigation policy, it was decided to refer the incident for examinations by the FFAM.
According to the factual findings and materials collated by the FFAM and presented to the MAG, the attack was directed against Hafet Hamed, a senior military commander (equivalent to a battalion commander) in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, as well as against a number of other terrorist operatives present with Hamed outside his home, understood to be taking part in an operational briefing prior to conducting military operations against Israel. The attack was carried out using precise and relatively low-explosive munitions, in an effort to minimize the risk of harm to civilians who may have been in the vicinity of the targets.
After the attack, from the seven people allegedly killed in the attack, it was found that at least three of them belonged to Palestinian terrorist organizations. It should be noted that at the time of the attack no additional persons were identified in the vicinity of the operatives’ group, and on the basis of the factual findings, it is not completely clear how civilians were harmed during the attack. It cannot be ruled out that these civilians were present in a nearby area, not visible to IDF forces, and were harmed as indirect result of the attack.
After reviewing the factual findings and materials collated by the FFAM, the MAG found that the targeting process followed in this case accorded with Israeli domestic law and international law requirements. The attack was directed against military objectives, while adhering to the requirements of the principle of proportionality, and the decision to execute the attack was made by the authorities authorized to do so. The MAG further found that the attack was carried out together with significant efforts to minimize civilian harm.
In light of the above, the MAG did not find that the actions of the IDF forces raised grounds for a reasonable suspicion of criminal misconduct. As a result, the MAG ordered the case to be closed, without opening a criminal investigation or ordering further action against those involved in the incident.
THE GUARDIAN
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9.32pm Family members of Hafez Hamad, a senior member of Islamic Jihad, were killed by a drone’s missile landing a foot from their sofa, the Guardian’s Peter Beaumont reports from Beit Hanoun.
“They were just talking, sitting outside their house,” says Mariam Hamad, sister-in-law of Hafez. “Usually there is a warning, but in this case the missile struck out of the blue.”
THE MEIR AMIT INTELLIGENCE AND TERRORISM INFORMATION CENTER
THE TRUTHFUL FACTS
FALSEHOOD #1 – THE TRUTH
The military DID NOT bomb the “home” of Hafez Hamad. An IAF missile targeted Hafez Hamad and his two brothers, all three, terror operatives, outside their home. They were sitting outside their house in a “sofa”, when a precise and relatively low-explosive munitions landed “a foot from their sofa”.
Hafez Hamad was not an “ACTIVIST” in the military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He was a senior military commander, equivalent to a battalion commander, in the al-Quds Brigades.
FALSEHOOD #2 – THE TRUTH
The statement that the individuals who are the target of a precision military strike did not receive a warning of the pending attack is evidence of B’Tselem’s intent and falsification of the narrative relative to this incident. The target of a military strike IS NEVER warned in advance of the attack. The reason should be obvious.
FALSEHOOD #3 – THE TRUTH
The house was not attacked “moments after the family went to bed.” First, the house was not attacked, three terror operatives were targeted and attacked. And second, the family did not go to bed just prior to the attack. As witnesses have stated, they were together outside their house: “They were just talking, sitting outside their house”.
FALSEHOOD #4 – THE TRUTH
The house WAS NOT bombed as part of the assassination of Hafez Hamad. First, the HOUSE WAS NOT bombed. The attack was directed against Hafez Hamad and two other terror operatives, his brothers, outside his home, understood to be taking part in an operational briefing prior to conducting military operations against Israel.
FALSEHOOD #5 – THE TRUTH
The attack WAS NOT disproportionate. The attack was directed against military objectives, while adhering to the requirements of the principle of proportionality, and the decision to execute the attack was made by the authorities authorized to do so. The attack was carried out together with significant efforts to minimize civilian harm. The incident DID NOT violate international humanitarian law.
The circumstances of this attack DO NOT give rise to any suspicions that international humanitarian law was violated. The targeting process was consistent with and followed Israeli domestic law and international law requirements.
FALSEHOOD #6 – THE TRUTH
Ibrahim Muhammad Ahmad Hamad was a terrorist operative in the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
FALSEHOOD #7 – THE TRUTH
Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad Hamad was Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist operative.
VICTIMIZATION
The B’Tselem databases create the illusion that Palestinian combatants killed by the Israeli security apparatus are victims, victims of an “occupier“. The Hafez Hamad, Ibrahim Muhammad Hamad, and Mahdi Muhammad Hamad narratives are an example of this misinformation.
Hamad family members, B’Tselem alleges, were all killed in a bombing of the family house “moments after the family went to bed for the night“. With the exception of Hafez Hamad, B’Tselem’s narrative states that no family member participated in hostilities. Hafez Hamad, B’Tselem alleges, was “an activist in the military wing of Islamic Jihad” and the target of an assassination.
The B’Tselem narrative creates an issue of moral legitimacy, that Israel does not adhere to conventionally accepted standards of conduct, after all, according to B’Tselem, in a targeted assassination of Hafez Hamad, his family home was bombed, killing every member of his family present, just as they had gone to bed for the night. B’Tselem argues that nothing can justify these actions, they are either amoral or immoral, and “… raise grave suspicion that the incident violated international humanitarian law.” The only problem with the B’Tselem narrative is that not one part of it is true, it is all entirely false.
The Hamad house was not bombed and the family was not killed moments after they went to bed. The family was sitting outside their house, in their garden: “They were just talking, sitting outside their house“, said Mariam Hamad, sister-in-law of Hafez.
The targeted strike was carried out while Hafez and his brothers were taking part in an operational briefing prior to conducting military operations against Israel. The missile that was fired by a drone, landed a foot from the sofa they were sitting in. It was a precise and relatively low-explosive munition, not a weapon designed to “bomb the home“. It was designed to kill Hafez Hamad and his collaborators, Hafaz Hamad who was not “an activist in the military wing of the Islamic Jihad“, but Hafaz Hamad who was a senior military commander equivalent to a battalion commander.
Hafez Hamad was not the only target in the strike, the other terror operatives present with him were also targets, Ibrahim and Mahdi, his brothers, who B’Tselem identified as not participating in hostilities. This is contradicted by the Military Advocate General Corps and corroborated by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
Not one thing in the entire B’Tselem narrative came even close to being truthful and this was by design. B’Tselem told a story of the Hamad family killed when their house was bombed just as they went to sleep in their beds. It was all part of an Israeli operation to assassinate Hafez Hamad who was an “activist” in a terror organization. The narrative clearly states that no other family member killed, participated in hostilities. All of this is obviously false, but what is also obvious, is the fact that B’Tselem has represented three terror operative combatants as victims.
Hafez Hamad, Ibrahim Muhammad Hamad, and Mahdi Muhammad Hamad, terror operative combatants, re-imagined by B’Tselem as victims.