Former IDF spokesman Lt. Col. (R) Peter Lerner commented on the reports surrounding the recent major bombing in Rafah, saying that Hamas was misleading the world again.
“Evolution of fake news and mass manipulation by Hamas. One quote in Washington Post coverage of the strike on Hamas terrorists in Rafah caught my eye this morning,” Lerner tweeted.
““๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฝ๐ก๐ค๐๐ 2371, ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐๐๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ช๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐จ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ฎ 22, ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ช๐๐๐ข๐ข๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ช ๐๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฅ.” Muhammad Abu Hani, quoted is a Hamas official. He appears to be the source of the widely reported claim that the IAF targeted the humanitarian zone.”
“Is he also the source of the reports from the same “civil defense” of 50 people killed in the strike? A number published by many of the world media. ๐ ๐๐๐ญ: ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ง๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐ณ๐จ๐ง๐. See the aerial photograph of the point of the strike, compared to the humanitarian zone,” Lerner advised. An infographic from the IDF was attached, claiming to show the strike happened beyond the borders of the humanitarian zone. “The Washington Post should’ve checked this verifiable quote. They chose to blindly run a story, miserably failing their readers.”
He summarised the aftermath of the report: “The IDF has now announced that the incident will be investigated by the Fact-Finding Assessment Mechanism. Including what caused the ignition of the fire beyond the target, and the tragic result, despite the precautionary measures including surveillance, precise munitions and additional intelligence to limit civilian casualties.”
The IDF is not the only body that needs to be investigated, he claimed. “We must however ask ourselves, if the Washington Post and others are willingly quoting as fact the Hamas lies about a strike that DIDN’T occur in the humanitarian zone, what else are they automatically regurgitating? The Hamas compound in #Rafah is another example of how they’ve intentionally weaponized the civilian arena. The question of why Hamas is allowed to push fake news, exaggerated figures and false narrative should be at the heart of all media coverage of this war.”
He reminds readers of what is at stake: “Hamas have one goal in this war - survive. They can only do that if Israel can’t fight, hold Hamas accountable for the October 7th Massacre, and bring back 125 hostages they continue to unlawfully hold. ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐ง๐จ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ฌ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ’ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ. ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ.”
