Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas, accused Israel of committing "massacres" in the Gaza war to cover its own "defeats." Haniyeh claimed that Israel was conducting barbaric massacres against unarmed civilians and that these actions would not save them from a resounding defeat. The Gaza health ministry reported a high number of casualties, including many children, on the Palestinian side, while Israeli officials stated that their military actions were in response to attacks by Hamas militants, resulting in civilian casualties in Israel.
