Al Jazeera ‘deletes fake story’ about IDF rapes in Gaza
A STORY on Al Jazeera’s website accusing Israeli soldiers of raping women during the attack against Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists inside Shifa Hospital has been reportedly deleted.
The story was reportedly live for 24 hours before it was taken down by the news organisation, which is highly influential throughout the Arab world.
Al Jazeera, based in Qatar, has not officially referred to the retraction, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Al Jazeera columnist and former director Yasser Abuhilalah tweeted: “It was revealed through Hamas investigations that the story of the rape of women in Al-Shifa Hospital was fabricated.
“The woman who spoke about rape justified her exaggeration and incorrect talk by saying that the goal
was to arouse the nation’s fervour and brotherhood.” He added: “As if more than 30,000 martyrs, 90,000 wounded, about a million displaced people, and comprehensive destruction were not enough!” The original story published by Al Jazeera featured “testimony” by a Gaza woman named Jamila al-Hessi who claimed that while she was under siege in the area of the hospital complex, she witnessed IDF soldiers “raping women then killing them and burning entire families alive”.
An X/Twitter user posting from Gaza called Jihad Khelles also wrote that there was no evidence of these alleged events.
Al-Hessi, who was interviewed live on Al Jazeera, alleged that she had witnessed women being raped, kidnapped and killed during the incursion, describing the incident as “more than an action film”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to the report on X/Twitter: “Look surprised, the Palestinians fabricate stories of rape to incite antisemitism.
“[UN Secretary General] Antonio Guterres, I’m sure that’s sad for you to hear, but that’s the reality.” Al Jazeera was founded in 1996 with the financial backing of the Qatari royal family.
Qatar provides asylum for the leaders of Hamas, designated as a terror organisation by the US, the UK, Canada, the European Union, Israel and other nations. Last month, the IDF claimed to have exposed two Al Jazeera reporters as Hamas terrorists.
Israel’s government has moved to close down Al Jazeera’s offices in Israel.
However, the initiative, which is backed by the Mossad and the foreign ministry, was never brought to the security cabinet, a move necessary to enact the ban.
A post from Gaza said there was no evidence of rapes