Overview
The following is a preliminary summary of the findings of the examination of the names of the Palestinians who were killed in IDF airstrikes in the Gaza Strip during the first two days (May 10-12, 2021 at 12:00) of Operation Guardian of the Walls. The ITIC examined 74 names of fatalities reported by Palestinian sources. Sixteen of them were killed during an unsuccessful launch of rockets at Israel. It is evident from the examination that of the 58 remaining fatalities, at least 42 (about two-thirds) were terrorist operatives, according to the following distribution: 31 Hamas operatives, 3 PIJ operatives, and 8 Fatah members.
- As in previous operations and this time even more, entities in the Gaza Strip (the Health Ministry and the terrorist organizations) hardly publicize the deaths of terrorist operatives. This, with the exception of senior operatives and officials, in which case the organizations they belong to published official death notices. The Hamas administration is trying to create a false impression that the vast majority of those killed were uninvolved civilians. In its announcements, the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip emphasizes the number of women, children and seniors killed and, unlike in the past, it does not publish detailed lists that include the names of those killed. Many of the dead terrorist operatives are also presented on social media and by Arab media outlets as “civilians” for the same reason.