IDF calls days of the week 'Hamas terrorists on shift' at Rantisi hospital in Gaza. Twitter reacts

In a video shared on Twitter by IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an IDF soldier points to a seeming calendar tallying days on the hospital wall, asserting it contained the names of terrorists on shift guarding hostages. Upon closer examination, it was revealed that the calendar simply displayed the days of the week in Arabic.

What

The attempt to associate the paper with a malevolent agenda has raised doubts about the reliability of the IDF's information. The calendar, in Arabic, was termed  of 'Al-Aqsa Toofan 7/10/2023', and showed days from October 7, the day of the Hamas attack on Israel.

• The IDF in the video suggested that hostages were being held in the hospital's basement.

What else

• The IDF claimed that the contents of the hospital, including women's clothes, diapers, milk, and an improvised toilet, were evidence of hostages being held.

• The presence of curtains, the IDF claimed, were a set for hostage videos.
• Critics were also quick to point out the logistical challenges of moving hostages in and out of a facility surrounded by IDF soldiers and tanks.

IDF's claims

The lack of credible evidence raises concerns about the authenticity of the IDF's claims and the potential for misinformation.

• Israeli media's swift dissemination of the IDF's narrative without verifying the Arabic language "terror list" adds another layer of concern.

The situation at Rantisi Children's Hospital is part of a broader context, where three major hospitals in northern Gaza have become targets of Israeli attacks.

These hospitals have served as vital shelters for displaced civilians, and Israel's efforts to eliminate them are ostensibly aimed at pushing the population southward, creating pressure on Egypt to accept refugees.

Arabic as 'evil'

Social media reactions to the incident highlight the danger of making assumptions based on the Arabic language, emphasising the necessity for linguistic and cultural understanding to avoid perpetuating unfounded fears rooted in Islamophobia. 

Users also drew parallels with previous instances where Arabic text was misinterpreted.

The Israel-Hamas war has entered its second month, with thousands of people killed in Gaza. Israel retaliated after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7, and took hundreds of hostages.