Netanyahu’s Assignment of Blame for Teen Deaths Cast Into Doubt
A BBC reporter claims an Israeli police official told him the men responsible for kidnapping and killing three Israeli teens last month were not acting under instruction from Hamas.
A BBC reporter claims an Israeli police official told him the men responsible for kidnapping and killing three Israeli teens last month were not acting under instruction from Hamas.
The abduction and killings were used as a justification for the Israeli military assault on Gaza that began July 8 and is ongoing. When the deaths were announced, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unequivocally blamed Hamas, the militant Islamic group that has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007 and has formed a unity government with the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank.
“Hamas is responsible, and Hamas will pay,” read a translation of a post on Netanyahu’s Facebook page. The kidnapping occurred June 12.
Returning to the question of responsibility, BBC journalist Jon Donnison tweeted Friday morning:
Israeli police MickeyRosenfeld tells me men who killed 3 Israeli teens def lone cell, hamas affiliated but not operating under leadership1/2
— Jon Donnison (@JonDonnison) July 25, 2014
Seems to contradict the line from Netanyahu government. 2/2
— Jon Donnison (@JonDonnison) July 25, 2014
Israeli police spokes Mickey Rosenfeld also said if kidnapping had been ordered by Hamas leadership, they’d have known about it in advance.
— Jon Donnison (@JonDonnison) July 25, 2014
Mickey Rosenfeld said lone cells much harder to track. Said they would find whoever was now protecting the two suspects.
— Jon Donnison (@JonDonnison) July 25, 2014
— Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.
WAIT BEFORE YOU GO...This year, the ground feels uncertain — facts are buried and those in power are working to keep them hidden. Now more than ever, independent journalism must go beneath the surface.
At Truthdig, we don’t just report what's happening — we investigate how and why. We follow the threads others leave behind and uncover the forces shaping our future.
Your tax-deductible donation fuels journalism that asks harder questions and digs where others won’t.
Don’t settle for surface-level coverage.
Unearth what matters. Help dig deeper.
Donate now.
Courts & Law
The state is poised to eliminate limits on investment in increasingly risky Israel bonds that help finance the country’s war efforts.
Middle East
An Israeli-U.S. plan to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza is being called a "politicized sham." Meanwhile, the U.N. warns 14,000 babies could die within days without aid.
Middle East
The Israeli army expanded its “Iron Wall” offensive, sending tanks into Jenin and announcing that displaced residents would not be allowed to return to their homes.
Middle East
The emboldened Netanyahu cabinet is on a war path, mobilizing to attack Iran and lobbying Trump into a plan that could include using the “mother of all bombs.”
Middle East
An official from Hamas described Trump’s statements about taking over the enclave as “ridiculous and absurd.”
Middle East
In a few weeks, Trump may not be able to pressure Netanyahu either, but for different reasons than Biden.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.