In an official statement released on Sunday, the Palestinian Authority (PA) denied allegations that Hamas terrorists were responsible for the tragic events at the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im on October 7.
The PA's statement, distributed to foreign ministries worldwide and the United Nations, instead pointed fingers at "Israeli helicopters" for causing the deaths of at least 350 festivalgoers.
Hamas also joined in the denial, asserting that an "Israeli fighter jet" was responsible for bombing the area near the Gaza border, resulting in hundreds of casualties.
Both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas supported their claims by referencing a "police investigation published in Israeli media."
However, it's important to note that the investigation mentioned by both parties indicated that an IDF helicopter fired at terrorists in the area and likely hit some of the Israelis present. Contrary to the Palestinian claims, the investigation did not attribute all casualties to an "Israeli bombing," only a few individuals.
According to the news site YNews citing the Palestinian Foreign Ministry's statement, "The Israel Police's preliminary investigation proved that Israeli helicopters bombed Israeli citizens who participated in the music festival on October 7, meaning that Israeli fighter jets caused extensive destruction in the area."
The statement continued, "Following this event, the 'Hannibal Protocol' was activated, allowing the occupation’s police and military to kill everyone. Therefore, the ministry believes that the revelations of this investigation cast doubt on the Israeli reports regarding the destruction and killings that occurred in the area."
The police’s investigation into the massacre revealed that the first Israeli helicopter arrived at the scene only at 11:12 a.m., hours after the tragedy began. The police emphasized that the focus of their investigation was on the bravery of the policemen who operated on the scene and the efforts of the Israeli police to stop the massacre carried out by Hamas.
In response to the PA's denial, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the statement, labeling it as "utterly preposterous." He asserted that the PA had reversed the truth by accusing Israel of carrying out the massacre and denying Hamas involvement.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid echoed Netanyahu's condemnation, emphasizing that anyone denying the massacre becomes an accomplice to a heinous crime against the Jewish people.
The investigation and the differing narratives surrounding the Nova music festival tragedy continue to be a matter of contention between the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and Israeli authorities.
