Hamas published yesterday an 18-minute long pre-recorded press conference in English about their side of the story.

This has received zero media attention anywhere in the western press.

So in the interest of full transparency, here is the entire press conference.


Watch the video through the link above.

Or just click here.

  • AernaLingus [any]
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    edit-2
    1 year ago
    Transcript (part 2)

    It is no doubt that what the Israeli occupation is implementing is a scorched earth policy. In their aggression on Gaza, thousands of civilians are being killed under the rubble and the rubble of their homes. In brief, they are destroying everything. Gaza is being wiped out by the fascist and the [indiscriminate] Israeli bombing. If we describe the situation in Gaza, it could be said in one word: it is a genocide. There is no safe area for the people in Gaza to seek refugee or shelter. Every area and every building is under possible attack. Everyone is targeted and vulnerable to Israel killing, including women, children, elderly and even disabled people and people with special needs.

    For these difficult days in Gaza, the brutal Israeli aggression against Gaza Strip continues with all brutality and intent to commit as [many] crimes and massacres as they can. They are targeting residential neighborhoods. They are destroying homes without giving any warning or chance for the inhabitants to leave. Not to mention the illegal and unethical closure of Gaza crossing and cutting all vital services including water, electricity, fuel, the supply of medicines and food as clearly stated by the Israeli leaders.

    The Israeli leaders are giving clear instruction to their army to carry out a genocide to more than 2 million citizens in Gaza Strip. We are facing unprecedented crimes in the modern history. They have exceeded all books of atrocious crimes and they have torn up all the humanitarian and international law and conventions.

    I just want to talk about the murders and wounded people. According to the official reports issued by the government in Gaza or international organization, according to the latest statics from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll has risen to more than 1,350 and this number is increasing from moment to moment including 260 children and 230 women in addition to nearly 6,000 or 7,000 wounded people as a result of the continued Israeli raids across Gaza. The occupation crimes against our Palestinian families led to kill entire families. The number of the families is more than now 25 or 27 families who are deleted from the civil courts in Gaza and all members of each family were killed together without giving them a chance to leave their homes and I think some families they have about 15 or 13 or 20 persons in the same building.

    Regarding to this catastrophe in Gaza, according to the United Nations reports, the Israeli raids have caused the displacement of nearly about 300,000 people who are displaced from their homes to the schools or refugee or circle centers in Gaza Strip and the number is increasing because of the [brutal] attack on Gaza Strip everywhere. Regarding the demolishing homes, the Civil Defense Department crews are incapable of dealing with huge amount of distress calls by people under the rubble of their destroyed homes. Large number of citizens are still under the rubble of their homes in several areas across Gaza but the rescue team are unable to pull them out as the Israeli aggression continues. Moreover, it is important to mention that the civil defense rescue teams lack equipments to pull out the people trapped under the rubble. As for the destroyed houses and buildings, whether completely or partial, we cannot determine it exactly at the moment because it increases every minute and every second but I can say that more than 20,000 homes were destroyed in Gaza. The vast majority of homes were destroyed without warning leading to wiping out entire families as mentioned above.

    Here we also do not forget to say that the Israeli war plans are systematically targeting the public facilities across Gaza including the universities and also hospitals, health centers, mosques and everything moving in Gaza. Regarding the health situation and the medical staff, the occupation forces target medical personnel and target their ambulances preventing them from rescuing from their action in Gaza or providing assistance to citizens who request their assistance. The latest figure to indicate that six health personnel have been killed while on duty where their ambulances were directly hit by the Israeli occupation forces. Our hospitals have declared that they have run out of bed capacity and the injured people are being treated while on the floor. There is several shortage, about 44% of medicine and 32% of medical equipments and 60% of laboratory supplies. Now the situation in hospitals is very catastrophic because of the lack of electricity, lack of many things so the situation is very difficult for the medical team to provide services.

    Regarding this new crime in Gaza, regarding the journalists, I am so sorry to say that the number of the murdered Palestinian journalists rose to 8 since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip. Several press buildings and offices were also bombed by or targeted by the Israeli occupation forces.

    Regarding the main services in Gaza, the Israeli occupation government continues to threaten to strike any trucks or cars transporting humanitarian aid and supply to Gaza Strip and has so far rejected all international calls and appeals to allow its entry. So-called Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant decided on last Monday to impose complete siege on Gaza saying no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. This is a clear statement that goes against all international and human laws and even beyond the basic level of human ethics. Most of Gaza Strip currently live in complete darkness as a result of the power cut which also leads to the interruption of the water supply.

    This is a new crime also committed by the Israeli occupation forces regarding the diplomatic and the United Nations staff. The United Nations staff were not too far from the Israeli aggression so far 11 UN workers from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Palestinian refugee which is called UNRWA have been killed in the ongoing strike on the Gaza Strip since last Saturday, some of which were killed with their families.

    In all Gaza is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian and catastrophe that require the immediate action from the international community, from different countries because I said that situation in Gaza, Gaza is like a bigger prison, situation is very hard, very difficult. We ask all the international community, governments, organizations to move and to give more attention to our people there because death is in every moment, destruction in every moment so we send this appeal, this call for all people all over the world to give help and support to our people in Gaza Strip. Thank you.

    • edge [he/him]
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      edit-2
      1 year ago

      8:34 is maybe "brutality"?

      Also it's probably "and intent to commit", i.e. "continues with all... intent to commit"

      • AernaLingus [any]
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        1 year ago

        Thank you! I've updated the transcript with those corrections.

      • emizeko [they/them]
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        edit-2
        1 year ago
        don't read this prescriptivism, I'm just compulsively annoying sometimes

        the press conference was in english so this is a transcription

        • SacredExcrement [any, comrade/them]
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          edit-2
          1 year ago

          No it's a fair point (and why I changed my original comment), that's what I get for only blowing up the comment and not clearly reading the part which said 'Transcript' lmao