PA Retracts Denial of Oct. 7 Massacre, U.S. Welcomes Clarification

By Yoni Weiss

The U.S. National Security Council spokesperson confirmed that the Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Affairs Ministry removed a statement from its website. This statement initially denied the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, attributing blame to Israel instead of acknowledging the attack orchestrated by the Hamas.

The spokesperson expressed concern, noting that the removed statement lacked sensitivity toward the victims and their families affected by the tragic terrorist incident. The United States acknowledged the Palestinian Authority’s subsequent actions in removing the statement and welcomed their clarification, stating that it does not represent their official position.

The now-deleted statement from the PA alleged that fire from “Israeli helicopters” caused the deaths of 364 individuals at a mass gathering near Kibbutz Re’im in southern Israel. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu denounced the PA’s claim as “utterly absurd” and condemned Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, referencing his past denial of the Holocaust while currently denying Hamas’s role in the massacre.