Thread by @alexplitsas

🧵

I just witnessed ~45 minutes of footage of the October 7th terrorist attack at the @AtlanticCouncil courtesy of @IsraelinUSA along with colleagues from think tanks across the ideological spectrum. What I saw was worse than I’ve ever seen.

Pure evil.

***Trigger Warning***

The video footage is a compilation from GoPro cameras, cell phones, CCTV, radio intercepts, and social media from the terrorists and the victims. It was unedited without editorializing and strung together in sequence. In many cases, you saw both the terrorist and the victims view

In total, the murders of 140 people are captured, which is approximately 10% of the total of those killed during the attack. Much of the footage is available on Telegram
and was broadcasted by Hamas terrorists. So those saying it’s not true are not telling you the truth.

Having worked encounter terrorism at the Pentagon during the Isis fight, and as a psychological operation specialist who has conducted counterpropaganda, I can tell you unequivocally that what I saw was worse than the Isis videos I’ve had to review in the course of my duties.

One of the more chilling and vile aspects of this attack that differs from videos I’ve seen of both Al-Qaeda and Isis atrocities is the maniacal laughter and the joy that the terrorists expressed while torturing and murdering unarmed civilians to include women and small children.

There have been assertions that Hamas leaders were unaware of the slaughter of civilians and that the targets were military. It is very clear from radio intercepts that were sent back to Gaza that terrorist communicated that they were slaughtering civilians & used those words.

Throughout the entire ordeal as it was captured on film, the terrorist can be heard invoking the name of God as they killed scores of innocent people. They referred to themselves as heroes as they call their parents and friends to brag about what they’re doing and laugh.

There are many instances in which terrorists entered the homes of civilians on Kibbutzim where they executed women and children hiding in their bedroom. Group leaders directed terrorists with them to shoot survivors in the head to kill them.

In one particularly chilling scene, a father and his two young sons run to the shelter in their underwear. A terrorist throws a grenade inside, and the father jumps on it and dies. The boys run inside, and one of them has lost an eye. A terrorist enters & grabs a Coke from the fridge.

Both of the young boys are hysterically, crying and bleeding as they call for their father. The terrorist first grabs of a bottle with clear liquid and ask if it’s water. The boys say they want their mom. The terrorist takes the Coca-Cola and leaves as nothing had happened

The Hamas terrorists in all of the videos were men who ranged in age from what appeared to be there, 20s through their 40s or 50s. There were multiple generations involved. Many war, military style gear, while others were in flip-flops and jeans. They all had weapons.

The men begin by going through a hole in the fence in Gaza, driving pick up trucks and motorcycles as they approach the music festival and Israeli communities. They are all smiling, chanting, and carrying RPGs, AK-47s, snd grenades. They had come to kill and terrorize civilians.

The scenes at the music festival and kibbutzim was that of a massacre of unarmed civilians. Purposefully targeted and mowed down as if they weren’t even even human. Scores of dead bodies shot , battered, and burned. They ranged from infants to the elderly in age.

There are also several instances of decapitated bodies. In one scene, a humus, terrorist, casually decapitates, and Israeli soldier, whose helmet is still on, and then walks around with it, like it’s a prize. Many terrorists wanted selfies or photos with dead bodies.

Throughout the ordeal, the terrorists refer to the victims as “dogs,” “Jews,” and “Jew son of a bitch!” It was clear they were targeted for their faith. Hamas recorded the atrocities for their base and to further terrorize civilians in pursuit of their aims. That’s terrorism.

There were also numerous scenes throughout the ordeal in which terrorists continued to abuse and shoot dead bodies to the point that leaders of the terrorist group on the ground. We’re ordering them to save ammunition to kill more people. They laughed and smiled as they did it.

There were also scores of burned corpses. Some of them were burned to death in their homes where they were trapped. Others were set on fire and shot either before or after. Terrorists can be seen looking in the windows of homes where you see small children, firing or light a fire

Eventually, the terrorists take hostages. There are many scenes where Hamas terrorists are loading civilians, who are injured, into vehicles to drive to Gaza. In one a man’s arm has been blown off. Again the terrorists cheer and laugh as they drive towards Gaza in pickups.

At no point was there a political statement made about a Palestinian state or historic grievances. Just pure, unadulterated, cruel violence and sociopathic laughter and enjoyment by those committing some of the most heinous crimes I’ve ever witnessed. They actually enjoyed it.

There was not a single instance in which I witnessed a terrorist wince or squirm before or after inflicting grievous, bodily harm, torture, or murder. In many cases, they simply moved on, as if nothing had happened. This was after killing, unarmed women and children. It was evil.

There were some instances in which the terrorists moved with military precision to the extent they were trained to do so, and in others, they set on dead bodies, like a pack of wild dogs, kicking and screaming at dead civilians. Spitting on them in some cases. Again, celebrating.

Not since Isis have I seen this type of ideological driven violence. no small cell of sociopaths or mentally ill people. This was 2,500 Hamas terrorists who participated in a slaughter and the largest execution of Jewish civilians in a single day since the holocaust, gleefully.

What was also jarring was the reactions and faces of the Israeli civilians at the music festival or in their homes as they hid for their lives, while being hunted like prey. You could see the terror on their faces as their last moments were spent praying for their lives & crying

In another stomach turning scene, Hamas terrorists move slowly into bedrooms where women and children were hiding under their beds, quivering in fear and spent their last moments crying for their loved before being shot and executed. Cold and callous.

In another scene, a terrorist used and Israeli civilians phone to call his parents. He called to tell his mother and father that he had executed 10 Jews, which he explained joyfully to which his parents responded with tears of joy and praise to God.

In yet another scene, a Hamas terrorist films himself standing up in the back of a pick up truck filled with wounded hostages, proclaiming that he and his fellow terrorists are heroes. He was proud of what he had done, and was beaming with a smile from ear to ear.

Finally, when it was time to go, Hamas terrorists loaded hostages in the backs of pickup trucks, other vehicles, and motorcycles to set off for Gaza. Many continued to abuse the dead bodies on the way back and filmed it, beaming with pride like they were game hunting.

As they arrived in Gaza, they were greeted by cheering crowds, who rushed to the vehicles in an attempt to further abuse dead bodies or hostages. Some being hit with pieces of wood and others being spit on. By the actions and looks. It appeared that they wanted to be part of it.

Finally, the film concludes with a compilation of abused, burnt, desecrated, executed dead bodies. There were more children than I wanted to count. Many bodies were so badly burned. You couldn’t tell age or gender. Only size gave away children children.

Suffice to say that never again is now. The number of terrorists and heinous violence committed against the backdrop of maniacal laughter and joy makes it clear Hamas can no longer exist as an armed group. It must be destroyed and it’s leaders hunted to the ends of the Earth.

Lots of messages post thread

At least half of the footage is on telegram and was released by Hamas terrorists

Burning people to death in their homes and murdering parents in front of their kids is torture

There were children amongst the dead

I can only comment on what I saw

~1,000 more people were murdered on October 7, whose deaths and circumstances were not in the film. I have heard rumors about other vile and heinous acts. Some of them are allegedly on film too but as I didn’t see them, I won’t comment or speculate. Just on what I saw.