Hamas’s Gaza Ministry accuses Israel of “crimes” and scorched-earth tactics, alleging the IDF remotely detonated 80 explosive-rigged vehicles in civilian areas over three weeks.
The Gaza Ministry of Communications, run by the Hamas government, has accused the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) of committing what it calls “crimes” against Gaza’s residents in violation of international law.
In a statement released Sunday, the ministry alleged that the IDF has targeted civilians, including women and children, and forced thousands to evacuate their homes amid intensifying ground operations.
The most explosive accusation centers on claims that the IDF has detonated more than 80 vehicles rigged with explosives inside residential neighborhoods over the last three weeks. According to the Hamas-run ministry, these demolitions have caused massive destruction of homes and property, while endangering civilians’ lives—part of what it called a “scorched earth” policy.
However, Israeli defense sources note that such detonations are a standard countermeasure designed to neutralize booby-trapped vehicles and improvised explosives planted by terrorist groups in densely populated urban zones. These measures, they argue, are essential to prevent IDF casualties and to dismantle terrorist networks’ urban warfare tactics.
The dueling narratives highlight the propaganda battle that runs parallel to the fighting: while Hamas portrays Israel’s actions as indiscriminate attacks on civilians, Israel insists they are targeted operations against terror infrastructure deliberately embedded in civilian areas.
