The social media post was made amid a controversy over Israel’s claims of Hamas beheading babies.
New Delhi:
The office of the Israeli prime minister on Thursday shared horrifying photos of dead babies on social media and said that they were among the pictures shown by Benjamin Netanyahu to visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Mr Netanyahu’s office claimed the photos were of babies murdered and burnt by Hamas.
“Here are some of the photos Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Warning: These are horrifying photos of babies murdered and burned by the Hamas monsters. Hamas is inhuman. Hamas is ISIS,” the prime minister’s office posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The timing of the post is significant as it comes amid a controversy over Israel’s claims of Hamas beheading babies. The claims were seemingly echoed by US President Joe Biden, who had said on Wednesday that the attacks by Hamas were “sheer evil” and claimed to have seen photos of Hamas operatives beheading babies.
Later, however, a White House official walked back Mr Biden’s comment, stating that neither the US president nor officials in the administration had seen the photos. The official said Mr Biden was referring to reports from Israel and comments from a senior official in the country.
Hamas has denied the claims and said that lies were being spread about “the Palestinian people and the resistance”.
Unwavering Support, And A Hint
At a joint press conference in Tel Aviv with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr Blinken vowed unwavering US support for Israel in its war on Hamas, but also said the Palestinians have “legitimate aspirations” not represented by the group, news agency AFP reported.
“You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself. But as long as America exists, you will never, ever have to. We will always be there by your side,” the US secretary of state said.
The AFP report said Mr Blinken also hinted at the need for an eventual peace settlement – an idea that has been resisted by Mr Netanyahu. “We know Hamas doesn’t represent the Palestinian people, or their legitimate aspirations to live with equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity and dignity,” he said.
Social Media Activity
Official accounts of the Israeli government and military have been releasing a series of videos on social media showing the suffering of people in the country since Hamas launched a multi-pronged attack on Saturday. One such video, released on Thursday, showed a young girl narrating how her father and his partner had been killed by Hamas operatives in front of her and her brother in a kibbutz near the Gaza border.
Another video, posted by the Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday, shows a woman walking around a village in southern Israel and talking about how the Hamas attack had left dead bodies everywhere and destroyed houses and vehicles. She had also pointed to clothes left behind by people who had been taken hostage.
At least 3,700 people have been killed in the war, which entered its sixth day on Thursday. There are strong indications that Israel is planning a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, which is home to 2.3 million people.
