Israeli families demand probe of Oct. 7 deaths
and the slow response by security forces that day have shattered the public’s faith in KIBBUTZ BE’ERI, Israel — the country’s leadership and Relatives of civilians killed at fueled calls for an investigaa kibbutz in southern Israel tion before the war is over. during the Oct. 7 attack by A finding that Be’eri resiHamas are demanding the dents may have been harmed military immediately inves- by Israeli security forces tigate signs that some may could add to that loss in faith have been killed by Israeli — especially as the army deals security forces as they battled with a growing number of militants holding hostages. friendly-fire deaths of sol
The military has said it will diers fighting in Gaza. By the conduct a thorough inves- end of December — the most tigation of everything that updated data provided by went wrong on Oct. 7 and Israel’s military — 18 soldiers the days that followed once in the Gaza ground offensive its war on Hamas is over. were killed by friendly fire,
But that’s not soon enough as well as two from “shoot- for some family members of ing irregularities,” and nine 13 people killed during a vio- from “accidents.” lent standoff between Hamas Be’eri was among the hard- the militants had placed in and Israeli security forces est hit communities on Oct. the front yard. Porat said she at Kibbutz Be’eri, along the 7. More than 95 people were was shot in the leg.
Gaza border. They fear valu- killed there and 30 were About an hour after the able evidence could be lost taken hostage, according police arrived, the Hamas as the war — now in its fourth to the community’s spokes- commander exited the home month — drags on with no person. and surrendered, holding end in sight. The families demanding Porat in front of him as a
Representatives of eight a military investigation are shield. Porat then stayed bereaved families delivered focused on a standoff that with the Israeli forces until a two-page letter to the army took place at the home of the end of the battle. chief of staff and other offi- Pesi Cohen, where Hamas Porat saw a tank arrive, cials late last week, demand- militants had taken 15 hos- and asked a soldier if they ing an immediate probe and a tages. were going to shell the house. public release of the findings. At one point, a Hamas He said yes, and that the tank
“In light of the serious- commander asked Yasmine unit wanted to break through ness of the incident, we do Porat -- one of only two hos- the walls of the home. not think it is right to wait to tages to make it out of the Israel’s Channel 12 news investigate the incident until Cohen home alive -- to call reported on footage and the end of the war, when it is the Israeli police. The com- voice recordings it obtained not clear when it will end,” mander sought to negotiate from a police helicopter on the letter said. It prodded the safe passage to Gaza with the October 7 that appear to military to “start it immedi- hostages, in exchange for show a tank firing upon the ately, when the memory is keeping them alive. Porat Cohen house, causing an fresh for all those involved.” communicated with the com- explosion that sent pillars
Be’eri was one of the com- mander with the help of an of smoke into the sky. An munities attacked on Oct. 7, Arabic-speaking hostage, a officer in the helicopter can when thousands of Hamas Palestinian man from Jeru- be heard exclaiming, “Wow, and other militants broke salem. there was firing!” through the Gaza border After seven or eight phone The Channel 12 report barrier, rampaging through calls to the police, officers cited forces on the ground the small farming towns and finally arrived outside the who said that a first tank fired cooperatives of southern home, Porat said. a shot at around 5:30 p.m., Israel. By the end of the day, An hours-long gun bat- about an hour and a half after they had killed some 1,200 tle ensued between some Israeli forces arrived at the people, mostly civilians, and 40 militants and the Israeli home. That tank sustained taken about 250 hostages. forces outside, said Porat. damage, prompting another
The heavy death toll in The Israelis attempted to get tank to arrive on scene. It Israel, the intelligence fail- into the house without killing was unclear from the Chan- ures preceding the attack the hostages, some of whom nel 12 report if the second
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — In a case that strikes at the heart of Israel’s national identity, South Africa formally accused the country of committing genocide against Palestinians and pleaded Thursday with the United Nations’ top court to order an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Israel, which was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust, has vehemently denied the allegations. During opening statements at the International Court of Justice, South African lawyers claimed the latest Gaza war is part of decades of Israeli oppression of Palestinians.
The court “has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows incontrovertibly a pattern of conduct and related intention” that amounts to “a plausible claim of genocidal acts,” South African lawyer Adila Hassim told the judges and audience in a packed room of the Peace Palace in The Hague.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the case and vowed to continue fighting Hamas, the militant group whose fighters stormed through Israeli communities on Oct. 7 and killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians.
“This is an upside-down world — the state of Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting genocide,” he said in video statement.“The hypocrisy of South Africa screams to the heavens.” tank fired on the house.
Porat said she did not see the tanks firing at the home, but heard two blasts.
The only other person who survived the standoff at the
Cohen house, Hadas Dagan, told Channel 12 she was sure that a tank had fired at the house.
“Suddenly there was a terrible boom,” Dagan said. “It was clear to me that there was a tank. I was injured by shrapnel from a tank shell.” to the terrorists,” the families the house was shelled by a
It remains unclear how wrote, demanding a “com- tank would require an onsite each of the 13 hostages died prehensive and transparent search for weapons debris, in the house that day. Porat investigation into the deci- said Marc Garlasco, a former said she believes that most sions and actions that led to Pentagon official and war of the hostages were alive this tragic outcome.” crimes investigator for the when she exited the house. The military said com- U.N. who reviewed photos
In their letter to the mil- manders had to make dif- of the Cohen home. itary, the bereaved fami- ficult decisions in a comThe longer the delay, the lies of Kibbutz Be’eri asked plex battlefield that day, and greater the risk of losing evithe army to investigate why that it would investigate the dence, said Ron Shifroni. the general in charge of the Be’eri incident, and release Three of his relatives — operation, Brig. Gen. Barak its findings, “as soon as the 73-year-old Ayala Hezroni, Hiram, had ordered a tank operational situation allows.” and 12-year old twins Liel to fire at the house despite This week, the kib- and Yannai Hezroni — were the risk of civilian casualties. butz was set to demolish killed in the incident. The
Hiram was quoted by the the home where the hos- military provided no inforNew York Times as telling the tages were held, said Omri mation about how they had tank commander to “break Revach, whose mother-in- been killed. in” after militants inside fired law, 78-year-old Chava BenShifroni frets that waiting a rocket-propelled grenade Ami, was killed in the stand- to conduct an investigation at the forces. off. But the families managed will mean losing the oppor
“According to the evi- to stop the demolition, pre- tunity to determine exactly dence, the shooting of the serving the home for inves- what happened to Ayala, Liel tank was fatal and killed tigation. and Yannai. many hostages in addition Determining whether