Hamas, as it has in the past, was shown to have exaggerated the number of civilian casualties who died in northern Gaza.

The Hamas Health Ministry characterized IDF operations on Saturday in Beit Lahia, located in northern Gaza, as a “massacre” and alleged 80 people were killed, including women and children.

In response, the IDF spokesperson’s unit said, “The numbers published by the Government Information Office in Gaza – which operates as a media arm of Hamas – are exaggerated.”

Before the IDF had a chance to refute the Hamas Health Ministry assertions, news of the so-called “massacre” made its rounds through social media.

Khalil al-Hayya, a potential successor to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, told Al Jazeera, “The Zionist occupation is carrying out a planned operation to uproot our people in northern Gaza.”

The IDF spokesperson said, “According to an initial check, the numbers published by the Government Information Office in Gaza – which operates as a media arm of Hamas – are exaggerated and do not align with the information available to the IDF, the precise munitions used, and the accuracy in hitting the terrorist target of the Hamas terrorist organization.”

He added, “The IDF operates precisely and focused and does everything in its power to avoid hitting uninvolved parties.”

Although the IDF takes pains to avoid civilian casualties, Hamas has regularly prevented civilians from evacuating according to instructions from Israel’s military.

Last week, Israel reported that Hamas was preventing civilians from evacuating the northern Gaza city of Jabalia to humanitarian zones ahead of IDF operations.

“The problem is that when we follow the army’s instructions and try to go to Al-Mawasi [humanitarian zone], there are people who come out against us and start hitting us with sticks, telling us ‘Go back, go back,'” the Jabalia resident told a military representative in the IDF recording.

“What should we do?” the Gazan asked the IDF. “We want to leave. We took our belongings and wanted to leave, and now they’re hitting us and telling us to ‘go home, go home,’ what should we do?”

Image - Mohammed/Flash90