People take part in a rally to call for the release of the 240 people (according to Israeli army) held hostages by the Hamas in Gaza, in Paris, on November 7, 2023. (Photo by Geoffroy Van der Hasselt / AFP)
“Is anyone alive? Any signs of life?” Those were the words from a local police first respondent calling to any possible survivors of the massacre at the Re’im music festival massacre in Israel on 7 October where about 270 young people were gunned down as they fled the attack launched by Hamas from Gaza on Israel.
His body cam footage showed his repeated calls to be fruitless and, off camera, a colleague replied, “everyone here is dead” by the stage of the festival billed as a celebration of “friends, love and infinite freedom”.
Behind the bar, in between the tents and in their cars trying to flee the mass shooting, the bodies pile up. The festival, only about 5km from the Israel/Gaza border, was one of the first places hit, along with the kibbutzim of Netiv HaAsara, Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Nir Oz, Holit and the town of Sderot, less than a kilometre from the border.
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The gory video of people being shot, then set alight in their vehicles, hands cable-tied behind their backs, from the body cams of Hamas terrorists, victims, military and first responders was from footage gathered on the day and screened by the South African Friends of Israel in Johannesburg.
Babies shot in their cots, some of whom were then set alight, people watching TV, cowering under a desk at a creche or simply driving on the road – all were gunned down in what has become the biggest slaughter of Jews in a single event since the Holocaust of World War II.
On that day at about 6.30am, air raid sirens began sounding in southern and central Israel in response to Hamas missiles. At the same time, a 10-minute recorded message of the leader of Hamas’ military wing, Muhammad Deif, announced the start of “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood”.
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“The age of the enemy’s aggression without a response is over. I call on Palestinians everywhere in the West Bank and within the Green Line to launch an attack without restraint. Go to all the streets. I call on Muslims everywhere to attack,” said Deif.
On the day of the attack, the Palestine Solidarity Alliance (PSA) said it was “an expected response against the daily killing of Palestinians, over 250 this year alone, many of who are children”.
“It is an expected response against the restrictions of Palestinian lives, including freedom of movement, access to amenities like water and the withholding of the dead bodies of Palestinians, including of Sheikh Kader Adnan,” the PSA said.
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“The Hamas assault exposes the hypocritical and unconditional support for Israel by the leaders of the western world, some Arab normalisers and African states and the western media in general.
“It exposes the bias which unreservedly supports Ukraine but does not bat an eyelid when Palestinians are killed, tortured, detained without charge or trial, and much, much more.
“Hamas today has demonstrated the unprecedented spirit of the Palestinian people for Freedom and Justice, reminiscent of the South African resistance slogan: Freedom or Death… Victory is Certain!”
AFP reported more than 120 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have been killed since the Israel/Gaza war began.
Yesterday’s screening of the video brings the Hamas/Israel war even closer to South African shores, with families both sides of the fence either infuriated by the attack or by the ongoing counterattack, which has the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry claiming more than 10 000 Palestinians killed in what has been called by Israel targeted bombings against Hamas military targets.
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In a recent interview with ABC news, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again rejected a ceasefire in Gaza unless the estimated 240 hostages were released, two of whom are believed to be South African citizens – Aviva Siegel, 62, from Randfontein, as well as a 79-year-old woman.
And, said Israel’s deputy ambassador to South Africa Adi Cohen Hazanov, the war would not stop until Hamas and the infrastructure which it used was completely dismantled.
Cohen Hazanov said Hamas had a “passion to kill”.
“Nothing is going to deter us from finding them. As long as Hamas has terror capabilities and the infrastructure to continue with missile launches and its horrible actions [of 7 October], we will not be able to allow it to happen,” said Cohen Hazanov.
“It’s a passion to kill. You saw the smiles and the pictures, the phone calls to the parents [by Hamas celebrating the killing of Israelis with their bare hands], so we will not allow Hamas to continue.”
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Cohen Hazanov said Israel had moved its tactical operations to start targeting Hamas on the ground.
“They are using hospitals, schools, mosques. This is the basis of Hamas and we will not allow another terror infrastructure to continue to bomb Israel, to allow another mass murder. Israel is attacking military targets.”
– amandaw@citizen.co.za
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