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fact-check Israel Palestine

Israel-Palestine Mega Fact Check!

In an effort to sort through the vast amount of misinformation on the Israel-Palestine conflict, I’ve invested hundreds of hours of research into fact-checking over 120 common claims and summarized my findings below. This represents all of the things I wish someone would have told me at the outset. Constructive criticism is welcome, as long as it is evidence-based (see form at bottom).

Select any claim to view the detailed fact-check.

Before 1948

There was never a nation called “Palestine” / “Palestine” does not exist.

Palestinians never had a king, a language, a currency, a culture, or even a history.

There was no such thing as “Palestinian Arabs” in 1948, because the term wasn’t invented until the 1960s.

The Jewish people are the sole indigenous people of Palestine, since they’re the oldest group to have maintained self-identity and a presence in Palestine.

Before Israel’s foundation in 1948, Palestine was dirty, impoverished, and corrupt.

Jews bought all of the land that became the state of Israel.

Jews lived in ancient Israel 3,000 years ago and have continuously maintained a presence in that area. They are therefore the rightful owners of the land.

Hardly any Arabs in current day Israel owned land in 1948, when Israel became a nation.

In 1923, Britain split Palestine into an Arab half (Transjordan), and a Jewish half (for Israel).

Palestinians don’t want a state, they just want to destroy Israel.

Had the Palestinian Arabs accepted the 1947 UN partition plan (UN Resolution 181), not a single one would have become a refugee.

The 1947 partition plan (UN resolution 181) was never implemented because the Arabs rejected the resolution.

After rejecting UN resolution 181, the Arabs started a war against the Jews which they then lost.

Gazans have a tribal warfare mentality and are prone to fighting, even without Israel in the picture.

Prior to 1948 there were many Muslim countries but no Jewish ones. Jews deserve to have a country of their own.

1948

After 1948

1967 — The Six-Day War

After 1967

1993-2000 — The Oslo Period

2000-2005 — The Second Intifada

The 2005 Disengagement

2006-2022

October 7th 2023

After October 7th 2023

Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas’s October 7th attacks.

Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7 2023 simply because they are terrorists that want to destroy Israel and kill all Jews.

Israel is attacking Gaza solely to destroy Hamas and retrieve its hostages.

Hamas could have protected the civilians of Gaza by sheltering them in their underground tunnels.

Hamas should have invested in bomb shelters instead of tunnels or rockets.

Israel must prevent the entry of concrete and pipes into Gaza because Hamas uses those to build tunnels and weapons.

Israel must prevent the entry of fuel into Gaza since Hamas uses it to propel rockets.

Gazans don’t have clean drinking water because Hamas uses its funds for tunnel-building instead of water treatment.

The children of Gaza are all future militants and should not be spared.

There are no innocent Palestinians since they elected Hamas as their governing body.

Hamas wants Gazans to suffer, because this generates worldwide sympathy.

Aid trucks are being hijacked by Hamas militants to be used by their own fighters. That’s why Palestinians are starving.

The IDF publishes the names and photos of all militants they’ve killed.

Genocide means killing all people in a given national, religious, racial, or ethnic group.

Israeli leaders have not called for a genocide of the people of Gaza.

Since October 7th 2023, Israel has committed a genocide against the Palestinians.

Gaza’s population has increased since October 7th 2023 (evidence that Israel has not committed a genocide).

Israel is letting humanitarian aid unfettered into Gaza.

Unlike the war in Gaza, the civil wars in Syria, Yemen, and Sudan haven’t received any attention or international court rulings.

All of the destruction and death in Gaza is standard warfare—war is hell.

Destroying civilian infrastructure is an acceptable part of warfare.

In May 2024, the UN quietly lowered the death toll in Gaza by 11,000.

Israel is not responsible for ensuring Gazans have food, medicine, and electricity after Hamas attacked them.

Putting Gaza under siege—cutting off their food, water, and electricity—is acceptable under international law.

Over 75% of Gazans still support Hamas after the October 7th attacks.

Hamas has stored weapons in some UNRWA schools and dug tunnels under some UNRWA buildings.

All of the schools and hospitals the IDF targeted in Gaza were used by militants.

Israel is letting in enough food to feed all the Gazans (Oct 2023 – Dec 2024).

Israel tortured UNRWA employees.

The Gaza Ministry of Health is dishonest, and their casualty numbers cannot be trusted.

Israel’s use of precision munitions saves civilian lives.

Israel’s attacks in Gaza were surgically precise, only hitting targets of military value.

Those protesting the Hamas-Israel war around the world shouldn’t, since it has nothing to do with them.

Those protesting around the world should go to Gaza and protest there.

Hamas dug up water pipes to produce rockets—contributing to water shortages—instead of producing and securing food and medicine for its residents.

Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad misfired hundreds of rockets in the first few weeks since October 7th, which landed in Gaza.

On October 17th 2023, the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital was hit by a misfired rocket from Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad, not the IDF.

Misfired rockets launched by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have caused most of the deaths and destruction in Gaza.

Hamas vastly inflated Gaza war death statistics, according to a December 2024 study by Major Andrew Fox.

It is Hamas that’s been rejecting all ceasefire deals since October 7th 2023.

About Hamas

About Israel

Before 1948

1948

After 1948

1967 — The Six-Day War

After 1967

1993-2000 — The Oslo Period

2000-2005 — The Second Intifada

The 2005 Disengagement

2006-2022

October 7th 2023

After October 7th 2023

About Hamas

About Israel

By Pierre Dalcourt

Balancing skepticism with open-mindedness since 1999.

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