27-10-2023 (UNITED NATIONS) Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, shocked the 193-member General Assembly on Thursday (Oct 26) by presenting a brief video that depicted a Hamas fighter attempting to decapitate a non-Israeli man using a garden tool during the Palestinian militants’ assault on Israel on October 7.
Ambassador Erdan, addressing the assembly during the two-day meeting on the Middle East, played a few seconds of the footage on a tablet, emphasizing that the victim was not Israeli or Jewish but an agricultural laborer from Thailand.
The video footage displayed a severely injured civilian, covered in blood but still alive, lying on the ground while a Hamas militant screamed “Allahu Akbar” and repeatedly struck the man’s neck with a garden hoe in an attempt to behead him. Erdan condemned the act as a heinous display of violence.
Meanwhile, the General Assembly is scheduled to vote on Friday regarding a resolution formulated by Arab states, which calls for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
As the diplomats gathered for the assembly, Israeli representatives placed a QR code at each seat in the hall bearing the title “Free Gaza from Hamas, scan to see Hamas’ atrocities.” The QR code linked to a collection of photos and videos from the October 7 attack.
In response to the Israeli envoy’s presentation, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, speaking on behalf of Arab nations, accused Israel of transforming Gaza into an enduring inferno, warning that the trauma inflicted would haunt future generations. Safadi emphasized the immense impact on Palestinian civilians.
“We hold the deceased in high regard, and thus, we refrain from displaying videos. The respect for the dead is crucial,” Safadi stated.
Advocating for a ceasefire, Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour criticized certain unnamed countries for applying a clear double standard. Mansour questioned why representatives of nations expressed horror when 1,000 Israelis were killed, yet failed to exhibit the same outrage when 1,000 Palestinians are now being killed daily.
“Why is there not an urgent call to end the killing of Palestinians?” Mansour inquired of the assembly, highlighting the need for consistent condemnation of violence.
This is not Auschwitz – it’s Hamas! We are not fighting against humans – we are fighting monsters! Israel will not stop until Hamas is destroyed!
This is what I said at the General Assembly podium when I showed footage of Israeli civilians burnt alive by Hamas and of Hamas… pic.twitter.com/9ncVdog3us
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) October 26, 2023
