Israeli forces shot their own civilians, kibbutz survivor says
Yasmin Porat: her interview casts doubt on everything we’ve been told about the Hamas raids.
Israeli claims about Hamas atrocities in the treatment of hostages and other Israeli civilians during the raids that started the current Israel/Gaza conflict may have been disproved decisively by an interview with a survivor.
Worse still – for the Israelis, Yasmin Porat said Israeli civilians were “undoubtedly” killed by their own security forces when they arrived at the scene.
The interview has appeared on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) – and has been translated by the Electronic Intifada:
Verified and translated to English: https://t.co/OKmr6RI71i
— Asa Winstanley (@AsaWinstanley) October 16, 2023
Here it is, with a bit of preamble to provide context:
An Israeli woman who survived the Hamas assault on settlements near the Gaza boundary on 7 October says Israeli civilians were “undoubtedly” killed by their own security forces.
It happened when Israeli forces engaged in fierce gun battles with Palestinian fighters in Kibbutz Be’eri and fired indiscriminately at both the fighters and their Israeli prisoners.
“They eliminated everyone, including the hostages,” she told Israeli radio. “There was very, very heavy crossfire” and even tank shelling.
The woman, 44-year-old mother of three Yasmin Porat, said that prior to that, she and other civilians had been held by the Palestinians for several hours and treated “humanely.” She had fled the nearby “Nova” rave.
A recording of her interview, from the radio program Haboker Hazeh (“This Morning”) hosted by Aryeh Golan on state broadcaster Kan, has been circulating on social media.
Yasmin Porat: For an hour they were banging – about 10 terrorists on the reinforced safe room. There were screams in Arabic and it was a very tense hour. And we felt great fear that’s indescribable. After an hour they managed to break in and they removed the four of us to a nearby house where there were already eight other additional hostages. We joined those eight and we were about 12 hostages with 40 terrorists that were guarding us. I’m keeping the story short.
Aryeh Golan: Did they abuse you?
Yasmin Porat: They did not abuse us. They treated us very humanely, meaning …
Aryeh Golan: Humanely? Really?
Yasmin Porat: Yes, by that I mean they guard us. They give us something to drink here and there. When they see we are nervous, they calm us down. It was very frightening but no one treated us violently. Luckily nothing happened to me like what I heard in the media.
Aryeh Golan: Horrible, horrific things occurred.
Yasmin Porat: True. But after two hours briefly at first there was no [Israeli] security force with us. We were the ones who called the police together with the abductors because the abductors wanted the police to arrive. Because their objective was to kidnap us to Gaza.
[SKIP OR CUT IN AUDIO]Yasmin Porat: Meanwhile one of the terrorists decides to surrender, the terrorist I made a connection with. Over the course of those two hours I connected with some of the abductors, those that guarded the hostages.
Aryeh Golan: Yes
Yasmin Porat: And he decides to use me as a human shield. He decides to surrender. I am not aware of it in those moments it’s in retrospect. He starts to disrobe, he takes he calls to me and he starts to leave the house with me, under fire. At that time I yelled to the YAMAM [Israeli commandos] when we were already when they can hear me, to stop firing.
Aryeh Golan: Yes
Yasmin Porat: And then they hear me and stop firing. I see on the lawn, in the garden of the people from the kibbutz. There are five or six hostages lying on the ground outside, just like sheep to the slaughter, between the shooting of our [fighters] and the terrorists.
Aryeh Golan: The terrorists shot them?
Yasmin Porat: No, they were killed by the crossfire. Understand there was very, very heavy crossfire.
Aryeh Golan: So our forces may have shot them?
Yasmin Porat: Undoubtedly.
Aryeh Golan: When they tried to eliminate the abductors, Hamas?
Yasmin Porat: They eliminated everyone, including the hostages. Because there was very, very heavy crossfire. I was freed at approximately 5:30. The fighting apparently ended at 8:30. After insane crossfire, two tank shells were shot into the house. Its a small kibbutz house, nothing big. You saw it on the news.
Aryeh Golan: Yes
Yasmin Porat: Not a large place. And at that moment everyone was killed. There was quiet, except for one person limping, Hadas [Dagan], in the garden.
Aryeh Golan: How were they all killed?
Yasmin Porat: From the crossfire.
Aryeh Golan: Crossfire, so it could also be from our forces?
Yasmin Porat: Undoubtedly.
Aryeh Golan: Really?
Yasmin Porat: Thats what I believe.
Aryeh Golan: Oy it sounds so bad.
Yasmin Porat: Yes. And everyone died.
Aryeh Golan: And you, thanks to that terrorist who decided to give himself up …
Yasmin Porat: Exactly.
Aryeh Golan: And you survived and all the rest were killed there.
Yasmin Porat: Except for one other woman who survived, they found her later [trails off]. The person who dealt with the event checked her or something. They found her when she lifted her head, amongst all the bodies. And then, simply …
Aryeh Golan: And your partner, who was with you?
Yasmin Porat: Killed.
Aryeh Golan: He was killed too?
Yasmin Porat: Yes. Everyone was killed there. Just horrible.
Aryeh Golan: Have you returned to Kabri?
Yasmin Porat: I returned to Kabri and then the chaos started there.
Aryeh Golan: In the north?
Yasmin Porat: Yes. So now I’m a guest. I’m being hosted in a lovely way in Kibbutz Ein Harod. And I’m here for now.
Aryeh Golan: Youre in the [Jezreel] Valley now. Alright, Yasmin, you’ve undergone a horrific experience.
Yasmin Porat: True.
Aryeh Golan: You lost your partner, you saw people killed alongside you.
Yasmin Porat: And I …
Aryeh Golan: [INTERRUPTS] What happened to that terrorist who gave himself up?
Yasmin Porat: He is still arrested, and he was just called in for interrogation to help … You know, he will be interrogated about the accused. And sadly dozens more of my friends were killed because …
Aryeh Golan: [INTERRUPTS] Dozens of friends?
Yasmin Porat: Yes because its a community, the trance scene, we go to the same parties. It means that besides my partner, I knew dozens and hundreds [CUT OFF]
For a much more detailed article, visit the Electronic Intifada here.
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This nonsense gets worse. Words fail me.
So you are arguing with an actual survivor of violent conflict within a kibbutz, as verified by the Israeli news media?
It seems to me that you have an agenda – a narrative that you wish to push – and you won’t accept any facts that contradict it.
Yep, just as I thought.
No, not as you thought; you thought wrong.
Again, nope, just as I thought.
Fine. You’re not the first commenter here who has problems with that.
Conflicts of any nature will cause problems for many not in direct connection to the conflict, such as the innocent civilians of Israel and Gaza.
Hamas is not bothered about any civilians be they Israelis or Palestinians in Gaza for there only reason for existence is the total annihilation of Israel. While Netanyahu is only after revenge, which to some degree is understandable, but no real concerns about innocent Israeli civilians, Palestinians civilians of any of the hostages taken by Hamas.
The only real outcome from all of this should be peace and to all Israelis and Palestinians wherever they are, to live in peace with each other, but neither Hamas or Netanyahu want peace.
Hamas don’t consider anyone in Gaza and certainly not in Israel, while Netanyahu also doesn’t consider Palestinians, Israelis and not it appears the hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza.
So, the reports of Hamas terrorists in the invasion of Israeli settlements and the concert and in this particular incident reported it appears the Hamas terrorists were not fully following Hamas orders and did show so respect a little for the Israeli residents. Then we have the Israeli forces who came to kill the Hamas terrorists and save any Israelis around. They did kill the Hamas terrorists, but in doing so also some of the Israelis present. Now mistakes can always occur, so can accidents, but are these mistakes or accidents or really no consideration of the innocent Israeli residents there, only the particular Israeli forces and the Israeli residents can comment and we have comments from at least one Israeli resident.
But until there is real peace in Israeli and the surrounding areas, this will continue and so will the injuries, deaths and the increasing resentments.
It may be said that Hamas don’t want peace and this could be right, but it appears nether does Netanyahu. In many respects this is similar to Northern Ireland for who would have thought some resemblance of peace could occur and to a large extent be maintained, but then all parties wanted some peace to some agree or were persuaded to do so, not all for there will always be a minority who will never do so, but hopefully with time these will reduce when they see how peace and trust is much better than conflict.
Peace is the only answer, but will it come before much increased conflict even extending in to many other areas and may be to WWIII.
But peace or complete world annihilation are the only real outcomes.