Israel-Hamas war: Tel Aviv to release attack's raw, unedited bodycam footage amid 'Holocaust denial-like phenomenon'

The Israeli government led by Benjamin Netanyahu will release unseen footage of the deadly surprise attacks launched by Hamas militants on October 7 in Israel, which have claimed over 1,400 lives so far. Israel will release raw and unedited footage of Hamas' atrocities on the October 7 weekend as captured by Hamas militants' bodycams for foreign journalists, Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy confirmed on Monday. 

The decision has been taken to counter what the Benjamin Netanyahu government describes as "Holocaust denial-like phenomenon evolving in real time" as individuals have expressed their doubt on the magnitude of atrocities committed by Hamas.

Despite several survivor accounts and accounts of those involved in recovering and identifying the victims, there have been claims on social media and other platforms suggesting that Israel is exaggerating the severity of the violence unleashed by Hamas on October 7. 

The unreleased footage reportedly shows the brutal slaughter of Israeli citizens including women, children and the elderly and taking hundreds of Israelis as hostages. The development was confirmed by Levy in a post on X formerly known as Twitter.

"Unfortunately, and I can't believe I am saying this and I can't believe that we as a country are having to do this," Levy said in the video. "The government press office will screen for foreign media, gruesome and as yet unseen footage of the barbarities perpetrated against our people on October 7," he further said. 

Earlier in the day, Israeli president Isaac Herzog claimed that a USB device was found on the body of a Hamas militant involved in the October 7 attack. The USB device, according to Herzog, contained directions for making a chemical weapon to use on civilians. 

The USB device contained "a manual for abducting captives and instructions for the use of chemical substances for mass murder," said a statement from Herzog's office. 

Meanwhile, at least one person died and five others were injured after Israeli forces fired many shots during a series of raids in the West Bank. The shooting took place during an Israeli raid in the Jalazuon refugee camp located north of Ramallah, as per Palestinian health ministry. 

Several people were also arrested during the raid by Israeli authorities. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said that they have struck down four Hezbollah "terrorist cells" on the Lebanon border during an overnight operation, They also struck down Hezbollah's infrastructure in Lebanon including a military compound and an observation post. 

"The terrorist cell was planning to carry out an anti-tank missile launch towards the town of Shlomi," which is located in northern Israel, the IDF said in a statement. 

As of Monday, the Israel-Hamas conflict has claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people on both the sides. More than 4,700 Palestinians have lost their lives in Gaza, as per the Palestinian officials. In Israel, more than 1,400 people have died due to Hamas attacks and 212 people have been taken hostage in Gaza. 

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