Fact Check: How to debunk this propaganda narratives “Hamas, whose stated purpose is the destruction of Israel and murder of Jews, targeted men, women, children, babies and the elderly in the worst massacre in the history of Israel.”

Fact-Check Article: "Hamas, whose stated purpose is the destruction of Israel and murder of Jews, targeted men, women, children, babies and the elderly in the worst massacre in the history of Israel."

What We Know

The claim that Hamas has a stated purpose of destroying Israel and targeting civilians is supported by multiple sources. According to a detailed analysis by Devorah Margolin and Matthew Levitt, Hamas has consistently articulated its goal of establishing an Islamist state in all of what it considers historic Palestine, which inherently includes the destruction of Israel. This ideological commitment is reflected in their charter, which emphasizes the use of violence to achieve their objectives, including the complete destruction of Israel and the targeting of Jews.

The October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas is described as one of the worst acts of international terrorism on record, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals, many of whom were civilians, including men, women, children, and the elderly. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken characterized the brutality of the attack as reminiscent of the worst atrocities committed by ISIS, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the violence, which included the slaughter of babies and the execution of parents in front of their children (Margolin & Levitt, 2023).

Furthermore, the Anti-Defamation League notes that Hamas has openly documented its violent acts against civilians, reinforcing the claim that their operations are not limited to military targets but explicitly include civilian populations.

Analysis

The evidence supporting the claim is robust and comes from credible sources. The article by Margolin and Levitt is published by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, a reputable institution known for its research on terrorism and security issues. Their analysis provides a comprehensive historical context for Hamas's actions and ideologies, making it a reliable source for understanding the group's motivations and the implications of their attacks.

Additionally, the characterization of the October 7 attack as a massacre aligns with the accounts from various news outlets and human rights organizations, which have documented the civilian casualties and the nature of the violence. The New York Times and The Atlantic also corroborate the assertion that Hamas's actions were not only premeditated but also aligned with their long-standing goals of targeting civilians as part of their strategy.

While some sources, such as the Genocide Libel research paper, discuss the broader implications of accusations against Israel post-October 7, they do not refute the specific claims regarding Hamas's intentions and actions. Instead, they highlight the complexities of the narrative surrounding the conflict, which can sometimes obscure the violent realities perpetrated by Hamas.

Conclusion

The claim that Hamas's stated purpose includes the destruction of Israel and the targeting of civilians, including men, women, children, and the elderly, is True. The evidence from multiple credible sources confirms that Hamas has a long-standing commitment to violence against civilians as part of its ideological framework. The brutal nature of the October 7 attack further substantiates this claim, marking it as one of the most significant acts of terrorism in the history of Israel.

Sources

1. The Road to October 7: Hamas' Long Game, Clarified
2. The Genocide Libel: Research Paper Series
3. Terrorist Group Hamas
4. West Bank and Gaza - United States Department of State
5. In a First, Leading Israeli Rights Groups Accuse Israel of ...
6. Israel-Hamas War FAQs Fact Sheet
7. Hamas’s Genocidal Intentions Were Never a Secret - The Atlantic
8. Hamas in Its Own Words