Why is the real story of October 7 off-limits to western, but not Israeli, media?

By Jonathan Cook

January 18, 2024

Israeli army ‘ethics’ chief says crimes committed by soldiers against Israel’s own civilians are ‘horrifying’. How is this not newsworthy for British journalists?

The Israeli Haaretz newspaper interviewed this week the army’s “ethics” chief, Asa Kasher, of Tel Aviv university, about two major incidents on October 7:

1. An Israeli commander ordered a tank to fire into a home in Kibbutz Be’eri knowing that there were 14 Israeli civilians inside, incinerating them.
2. Israeli helicopters fired missiles at dozens of cars with Israeli hostages inside, killing the inhabitants, again often by incinerating them.

In both cases, the official Israeli narrative is that Hamas was responsible for these “barbaric” acts, supposedly justifying the genocide Israel is carrying out – “in response” – against the civilian Palestinian population of Gaza.

Haaretz and Kasher ascribe these “friendly fire” incidents to Israel’s classified “Hannibal directive”, which requires soldiers to stop Israelis being taken hostage at all costs. Kasher thinks – probably wrongly – that the directive was misunderstood and misapplied by commanders on the day.

Read more:

https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2024-01-18/israel-october-7-western-media/

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See also:

‚Unlawful, Unethical, Horrifying‘: IDF Ethics Code Author on Alleged Use of ‚Hannibal Directive‘ During Hamas Attack

Asa Kasher, the philosopher who wrote the IDF’s Code of Conduct, tells Haaretz that incidents in which the infamous operational order may have been used on October 7 must be investigated immediately: ‚There is absolutely nothing [in the code] to allow someone to kill an Israeli citizen, in uniform or not‘

By Rachel Fink

January 17, 2024

https://archive.ph/Mn6MD#selection-457.0-598.0

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The IDF’s War Crimes Are a Perfect Reflection of Israeli Society

The Chris Hedges Report with Miko Peled, the son of an Israeli general who served in the Special Forces in the Israeli army, on the racist indoctrination and militarization of Israeli society.

By Chris Hedges

January 14, 2024

https://afsaneyebahar.com/2024/01/14/20697859/

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The Case for Genocide

The International Court of Justice may be all that stands between the Palestinians in Gaza and genocide.

By Chris Hedges

January 12, 2024

https://afsaneyebahar.com/2024/01/13/20697840/

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