Islamist propaganda news outlet Al Jazeera ran a fabricated story about the rapes of Palestinian women in Al-Shifa hospital by Israeli forces, Al Jazeera columnist and former managing editor Yasser Abuhilalah said. The journalist cited an ‘investigation’ by the Hamas terror group to assert that the allegations made by the women in Al Shifa hospital were widely exaggerated, following which Al Jazeera retracted the story.
Abuhilalah took to X to quote the woman who made explosive claims of rape, and torture by Israeli forces inside the Al Shifa hospital, stating that they were widely exaggerated and aimed at ginning up public anger and brotherhood against the 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 .
— ياسر أبوهلالة (@abuhilalah) March 24, 2024
◾️◾️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…
“It was revealed through Hamas investigations that the story of the rape of women in Al-Shifa was fabricated,” tweeted Abuhilalah, adding that the woman who spoke about rape justified her exaggeration and incorrect talk by saying that the goal was to arouse the nation’s fervour and brotherhood.
On Sunday morning, Al Jazeera reported statements from a woman named Jamila al-Hissi, who was said to have been trapped in the hospital for six days. She claimed that Israeli soldiers at the hospital had “raped women, kidnapped women, executed women, and pulled dead bodies from under the rubble to unleash their dogs on them.”
“Is there anything more atrocious than this? Is there anything more terrifying than hearing women cry out for help, only for them to be shot at when we attempt to reach them to offer aid?” al-Hissi was quoted as saying.
"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
Although Al Jazeera did not formally correct, retract, or acknowledge the issue, all content concerning the allegation was apparently removed from the Qatari broadcasting channel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz emphasized the United Nations’ serious consideration of such reports, while also pointing out Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ bias against Israel.
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
“Let it be known, the Palestinians concoct tales of rape to fuel anti-Semitism,” Katz shared on X. “Guterres, I understand that might be unsettling for you, but that’s the truth of the matter.”
Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman in Arabic, previously refuted the claims and efforts to dismiss this “fake news.”
“In the wake of repeated failures, Hamas propaganda is now peddling a fresh fabrication,” he stated in a video shared on X. Adraee also accused “Al-Jazeera and Hamas mouthpieces” of attempting “futilely to mask the true face of ISIS-Hamas as beautiful following October 7 and the atrocities of massacres, rapes, and arson they committed.”
