October 12, 2023 – Israel-Hamas war news – CNN

Hamas on Thursday firmly denied its involvement in killing and beheading babies, saying the allegations were “unethically and unprofessionally adopted by western media outlets.” 

The official called Hamas’ large-scale surprise assault on Israel on Saturday a “defensive operation” and an “internally Palestinian” one.

“The operation targeted only the Israeli military bases and compounds,” Naim claimed, despite evidence to the contrary. 

“There were clear instructions from the top commanders of Al Qassam Brigades to avoid targeting civilians or killing them,” the Hamas official said.

CNN previously reported that days after Hamas launched its large-scale surprise assault on Israel, horrifying details were still emerging.

In Kfar Aza, a kibbutz in southern Israel, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told CNN that militants carried out a “massacre” in which women, children, toddlers and elderly were “brutally butchered in an ISIS way of action.”

Tal Heinrich, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Wednesday that babies and toddlers were found with their “heads decapitated” in Kfar Aza in southern Israel after Hamas’ attacks in the kibbutz over the weekend. Netanyahu’s office on Thursday released “horrifying photos” of two babies whose bodies had been burned beyond recognition and a bloodstained infant’s body.

Hamas militants are holding as many as 150 people hostage in locations across Gaza following their raids on southern Israel Saturday, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said Monday.

Their presence is complicating Israel’s response to the militant group’s deadly attack. However, Ambassador Gilad Erdan told CNN Monday that the government’s priority is destroying Hamas to restore security for all Israeli citizens. 

The Hamas official said in the statement that hostages whom the militant group is holding will be treated “in accordance with our religious values and the rules of international humanitarian law.”

However, Naim said, “we are really worried that since the Israeli aggression is everywhere in Gaza, they might be the victims of the Israeli army bombardment just like our people.”