child beheadings - Central News Hub

Hamas Rejects Accusations of Baby Killings, Labels Media Bias

Netanyahu’s office on Thursday released “horrifying photos” of two babies whose bodies had been burned beyond recognition and a bloodstained infant’s body…reports Asian Lite News

The Hamas has denied its involvement in killing and beheading babies in southern Israel and said the allegations were “unethically and unprofessionally adopted by western media outlets”.

“We firmly deny these allegations as we reject this media bias, and we call on media to abide by journalistic code of ethics,” CNN quoted Basim Naim, an official with Hamas information office, as saying in a video statement late Thursday.

The official also called the militant group’s large-scale surprise assault on Israel on October 7 a “defensive operation” and an “internally Palestinian” one.

“The operation targeted only the Israeli military bases and compounds,” Naim claimed.

“There were clear instructions from the top commanders of Al Qassam Brigades (Hamas’ military wing) to avoid targeting civilians or killing them.”

Earlier this week, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN that militants carried out a “massacre” Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in southern Israel, in which women, children, toddlers and the elderly were “brutally butchered in an IS way of action”.

On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesman Tal Heinrich alleged that babies and toddlers were found with their “heads decapitated” in Kfar Aza.

Netanyahu’s office on Thursday released “horrifying photos” of two babies whose bodies had been burned beyond recognition and a bloodstained infant’s body.

Also commenting on the hostages held by the Hamas, Naim said in the video statement that the abductees will be treated “in accordance with our religious values and the rules of international humanitarian law”.

“We are really worried that since the Israeli aggression is everywhere in Gaza, they might be the victims of the Israeli army bombardment just like our people,” CNN quoted the official as saying.

According to Israli authorities, Hamas militants are holding as many as 150 people hostage in Gaza following.

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Biden’s Remarks on Child Beheadings in Israel Clarified by White House

Another administration official told CNN later that neither Biden nor the administration have seen pictures or confirmed reports of children or infants beheaded by the Hamas…reports Asian Lite News

In a clarification, a White House official has confirmed that US President Joe Biden has not seen pictures of “terrorists beheading children” in Israel, backtracking from the latter’s comments that he saw such images.

While addressing a roundtable of Jewish community leaders on Wednesday afternoon, the President had said: “It matters that Americans see what’s happening — I mean, I have been doing this a long time, I never really thought that I would see, have confirmed pictures of terrorists beheading children.”

But the White House official told the BBC that “he was referring to the reports from Israel”.

Another administration official told CNN later that neither Biden nor the administration have seen pictures or confirmed reports of children or infants beheaded by the Hamas.

Biden’s remarks came after a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier on Wednesday that babies and toddlers were found “decapitated” in Israeli kibbutz Kfar Aza.

The claim has not been officially verified.

In a statement to CNN, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that women, children, toddlers and elderly were “brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action”.

But the Hamas has denied that its militants beheaded children or attacked women.

The militant group’s spokesman and senior official Izzat al-Risheq on Wednesday described the accusation as “fabricated and baseless allegations”.

Meanwhile, the toll from Israel after the brutal Hamas cross border attack on Cctober 7 currently stood at 1,200, while in Gaza at least 1,000 people have been killed in retaliatory air strikes.

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