On 14th October (Saturday), Israeli officials stated that Military forensic teams in Israel have examined the bodies of victims of last week’s Hamas terror attack on communities around the Gaza Strip. During the forensic analysis, they found multiple signs of torture, rape, and other atrocities, Reuters reported on 15th October (Sunday).
As per media reports, around 1,300 bodies were brought to an army base in Ramla in central Israel. At the army base, forensic analysis was carried out by specialist teams to determine the identity of the deceased victims and the circumstances of their deaths.
Rabbi Israel Weiss, former army chief rabbi is one of the officials who are overseeing the identification of the dead. He said around 90% of the military dead have been identified and teams are halfway through identifying civilians. He added that many bodies showed signs of torture as well as rape.
Speaking to reporters, a reserve warrant officer identified only by her first name of Avigayil said, “We’ve seen dismembered bodies with their arms and feet chopped off, people that were beheaded, a child that was beheaded.”
She noted that multiple cases of rape were found by forensic examination of the bodies. These bodies have been stored in refrigerated containers.
A military dentist, identified as Captain Maayan said, “We do the identification with all the means that we have. We see them in severe stages of abuse. We see gunshots and we see signs that are purely torture.”
However, the Reuters report added that they didn’t get to see forensic evidence in the form of pictures or medical records.
It is pertinent to note that the Israeli government including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has compared Hamas to Islamic State – the terrorist group which gained worldwide notoriety for public beheadings in countries like Syria and Iraq.
Meanwhile, the Israel-Hamas war has entered its ninth day with Israeli constantly pounding the terror infrastructure of Hamas for the 7th October terrorist attacks and ground invasion killing more than 1,300 Israeli citizens and over 3,300 severely injured.
On 14th October, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it was completing preparations for “significant ground operations” in the Gaza Strip. According to IDF, they are preparing to “expand the offensive” by putting in place a “wide range of offensive operational plans” that would include “joint and coordinated attack from the air, sea and land,” reported Times of Israel.
IDF International Spokesperson Lt Col Richard Hecht issued a video statement urging civilians in the Northern Gaza Strip to evacuate immediately and go southwards. He emphasised that the objective of IDF is to protect the people of Israel from the ongoing attacks of the terrorist organisation Hamas, which had initiated the war with a brutal massacre.
Israel Hamas war
On 7th October, hundreds of Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel through various means, overwhelming the Iron Dome with 5,000 rockets in a matter of few minutes. They also abducted hostages and took them to Gaza. In a counterattack on Hamas by Israeli forces, more than 1,500 Hamas terrorists have been reportedly killed in the Israel-Hamas war.
Under the Operation Swords of Iron, Israel launched a major offensive against Hamas in Gaza, restricting power and water supply and blocking essential goods from entering the region. Over 400,000 Gaza residents have been evacuated so far. Meanwhile, India has launched Operation Ajay to evacuate Indians from Israel. Two batches of Indians have already been rescued, with over 200 people in each back.