Israel-Gaza war: Israeli Embassy shows journalists Hamas atrocities

The Israeli Embassy is pushing back against anti-Israel sentiment and reminding the public why the Jewish homeland is advancing a military offensive into Gaza aimed at destroying the terrorist group.

Palestinian militants surround a truck reportedly carrying a captured Israeli woman, in Khan Yunis in the souther Gaza Strip, on October 7.

The Israeli embassy has screened in Australia for the first time a graphic 43-minute video of the October 7 attack by Hamas, pushing back against anti-Israel sentiment and reminding the public why it was advancing a military ­offensive into Gaza aimed at ­destroying the terrorist group.

The video depicting the massacre of Israeli families including women, children and babies – some of whom were burned beyond recognition – was shown to a small group of journalists in ­Canberra after Anthony Albanese said that while Israel had a right to defend itself, “how it does that matters”.

The Prime Minister said it was important that “every civilian life is valued, whether it be Israeli or Palestinian”, and that innocent people in both Gaza and Israel were suffering.

“Every innocent loss of life is a tragedy. And that is why we remain very concerned and continue to put forward our case while we’ve provided humanitarian assistance, as well, to Gaza. Some $25m has been provided so far,” Mr Albanese said.

“This is a very difficult time for people with families, whether they be in Israel or in Gaza.”

Mr Albanese said the attack from Hamas was “worthy of absolute condemnation in an unequivocal way” but would not comment on former Labor prime minister Paul Keating’s refusal to sign a joint statement with six other former prime ministers condemning Hamas while urging Israel to ­protect civilian lives.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the Israeli government had shown the footage to journalists because “the world must know that evil exists”.

Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.

“It must know why there has never been peace with the Palestinian leadership and why Hamas must now be obliterated,” he said.

“The journalists who proffer opinions on Israel’s actions must know what has necessitated these actions,” he added. “Those who call for a truce with Hamas must know who they are seeking to keep in power and shield from justice. Those who have denied these atrocities should see the people whose torture and slaughter they are denying.”

The president of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, Nasser Mashni, responded to the showing of the footage by saying Hamas’s actions occurred “on one black day” but that “Israel has been perpetrating that horror on the people of Gaza for 24 black days now”.

“Is Israel seeking to blur the line between the Palestinian people of Gaza and Hamas to justify the killing of thousands more innocents in Gaza? This is nothing but a desperate bid to stem the growing international criticism of the war crimes being committed by Israel in Gaza.”

Last week, Australia was one of 45 nations which abstained from a non-binding resolution at the UN calling for an immediate truce between Israel and Hamas because it did not recognise Hamas as the perpetrator of the October 7 attack.

The conflict in the Middle East has opened up fractures within the ALP, with Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke last week refusing to repudiate suggestions of “genocide” against Palestinians. His frontbench colleague Ed Husic had earlier warned that Israel’s siege on Gaza amounted to collective ­punishment.

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten denied suggestions Labor was divided on the conflict in the Middle East, telling Sky News that Israel had a right to defend itself but there were also concerns for the hardships being felt by Palestinian civilians.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the government needed to be “crystal clear” in its condemnation of Hamas. He also said Mr Keating’s refusal to co-sign the letter endorsed by other former prime minister’s exposed differences inside the Labor Party and was “deeply unfortunate”.