Al Jazeera, a news outlet known for covering events in the Middle East, has retracted a story about alleged rapes of Palestinian women in Al-Shifa Hospital by Israeli forces. Yasser Abuhilalah, a columnist and former managing editor at Al Jazeera, revealed that the story was fabricated. He cited an investigation by the Hamas terror group, which found that the allegations made by the women in Al Shifa hospital were exaggerated. As a result, Al Jazeera retracted the story.
Abuhilalah quoted a woman who had made explosive claims of rape and torture by Israeli forces inside Al-Shifa hospital, stating that her allegations were widely exaggerated. The woman reportedly justified her exaggerations by saying that her goal was to rouse public anger and solidarity against Israeli law enforcement officials.
◾️◾️تبين من خلال تحقيقات حركة حماس إن قصة اغتصاب النساء في #مستشفى_الشفاء مختلقة، طبعا العدو لم يتورع عن جريمة إبادة .
◾️◾️بررت السيدة التي تحدثت عن الاغتصاب مبالغتها وحديثها غير الصحيح بأن الهدف أستثارة حمية الأمة ونخوتها ! وكأن أكثر من ثلاثين ألف شهيد وتسعين ألف جريح ونحو…— ياسر أبوهلالة (@abuhilalah) March 24, 2024
The original report from Al Jazeera featured statements from a woman named Jamila al-Hissi, who claimed to have been trapped in the hospital for six days. She alleged that Israeli soldiers at the hospital had raped, kidnapped, and executed women, as well as pulled dead bodies from under the rubble to unleash their dogs on them. However, Abuhilalah’s revelation cast doubt on the credibility of these claims.
"Jamila at Hissi, a Palestinian woman who managed to leave Shifa hospital in Gaza told Al Jazeera Arabic that women at the hospital have been subjected to rape, torture, and execution by Israeli forces." @MiddleEastEye pic.twitter.com/uOXrDuto1l
— Randa Abdel-Fattah (@RandaAFattah) March 24, 2024
While Al Jazeera did not formally correct or retract the story, all content related to the allegations was apparently removed from the Qatari broadcasting channel. This move suggests an acknowledgment of the inaccuracies in the original reporting.
Look surprised, the Palestinians fabricate stories of rape to incite anti-Semitism. @antonioguterres I'm sure that's sad for you to hear, but that's the reality. pic.twitter.com/B2FSQfIkTt
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) March 25, 2024
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to the controversy by emphasizing the serious consideration given to such reports by the United Nations. Katz also criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for what he perceived as bias against Israel. Katz asserted that the Palestinians fabricated tales of rape to fuel anti-Semitism.
Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman in Arabic, had previously refuted the claims of rape. In a video shared online, Adraee accused Al Jazeera and Hamas of peddling “fake news” in an attempt to mask the true nature of Hamas following the atrocities committed by the group.
The retraction of the false story highlights the importance of accurate reporting in sensitive situations. It also underscores the need for thorough investigation and verification of claims before they are disseminated to the public.
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