Hamas 'strongly' denies story about militants beheading children during Israel attack
Hamas has strongly rejected the allegations about militants mutilating children during their attack on Israel.
In the past few days, there have been headlines claiming Hamas' armed unit Al-Qassam Brigades 'beheaded many Israeli babies' in Kfar Aza, in southern Israel.
Loads of outlets have run with the story after an i24 journalist heard the rumor from Israeli soldiers following Hamas' brutal terrorist assault over the weekend.
A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Tal Heinrich, backed up these claims that babies and toddlers were found with their heads off.
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The exact number has ranged up to 40 victims.
However, Hamas has issued a statement denying this ever took place.
Spokesman and senior official Izzat al-Risheq said (via CNN and Middle East Monitor): "We strongly condemn the fabricated and baseless allegations promoted by the occupation in an attempt to cover up for the massacres, crimes and genocide committed in Gaza."
He said Israel was spreading lies about them and had 'no evidence to support such claims'.
The Anadolu news agency contacted the Israeli Defence Force for confirmation of the allegations and a spokesperson said: "We have seen the news, but we do not have any details or confirmation about that."
The claims were further cast in doubt after a French journalist who was in the Kfar Aza settlement said he had heard nothing of the sort.
Sam Forey wrote on Twitter/X: "I have verified with two emergency services (wishing to remain anonymous, as the subject is sensitive) that have collected many corpses.
"Both affirm that they have not witnessed such atrocities, without saying that it did not exist."
"I do not downplay the atrocities committed by Hamas fighters. I have documented them (an article coming in a few minutes).
"I wanted to clarify that I cannot verify these child decapitations."
Aren Ziv, an Israeli photojournalist, said none of the soldiers he spoke with at the site of the attack mentioned the story either.
Sky News' Stuart Ramsay was also at the scene and interviewed two Israeli Defence Force majors.
He said: "At no point did either he, or the other major I spoke to, ever mention that Hamas had beheaded or killed 40 babies or children. I believe that if it were the case, they would have told me and others there.
"There is no doubt that a horrific attack took place at Kfar Aza, and it needed to be reported, and we did see the bodies of the dead from the community in their houses, in the back of a truck, and on the basketball court.
"But it's important to separate the facts from speculation in a situation like this.
"To reiterate - the IDF had every opportunity to inform the world's media of any story that had become apparent as the military continue to clear up the kibbutz. The murder and beheading of 40 children was never mentioned to me or my team."
While the specific story about babies being beheaded are seriously in doubt, the trail of destruction that Hamas militants left behind in Kfar Aza is very real.
The journalists who were invited to Kfar Aza have reported heart-wrenching scenes and described it as a 'massacre' where 'women, children and toddlers and elderly were brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action'.
At least 1,200 people have been killed in Israel following Hamas' coordinated attacks.
Israel has since launched a series of airstrikes into Gaza as retaliation and killed hundreds of people and flattened buildings.
Stewart Perrie