On the 23rd of October, Imran Khan, who had once threatened to chop Prime Minister Narendra Modi into pieces, appeared on the podcast of journalist Sushant Sinha. In one segment of the podcast, right after discussing the recent military operation by India after the Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan, Masood compared the terrorist group Hamas to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh.
During the podcast, Sushant Sinha questioned Imran Masood about the lack of retaliatory action against Pakistan when Congress was in power. Speaking about Operation Sindoor, Masood was asked about his opinions on Operation Sindoor. Sinha said that Masood believes India should not have agreed to a ceasefire. However, he has also admitted that Pakistan was brought to its knees. Sinha asks that this statement would mean that Masood agrees that Operation Sindoor was incredibly successful.
Masood, true to his Congress blood, shot back saying that Pakistan was already on its knees and Operation Sindoor had nothing to do with it. He claimed that since the past 15 years, Pakistan had been sidelined on the world stage. To that, Sinha says that the assertion is misplaced, since during the Congress rule, post the Mumbai terror attack on 26/11, the Congress government did paltry little. He claimed that there was nothing more which needed to be done by the Congress since after 26/11, Pakistan had been branded as a terror nation internationally. Sinha countered, saying that P Chidambaran had himself admitted that while Congress wanted to take military action against Pakistan post 26/11, it was the USA which stopped them from doing so – “this is what a surrender really looks like”, Sinha said to Masood. Masood essentially hinted that Chidambaram had become old and perhaps, it was because of his age that he was making falacious claims.
After this discussion, Sinha questioned Masood about Rahul Gandhi’s conduct post Operation Sindoor and how he was questioning the Indian Armed Forces. Sinha said that the question that Rahul Gandhi repeatedly asked, about the number of Rafale jets which were allegedly downed by Pakistan, was a questioned designed by the arms lobby. Masood said that in ‘national interest’, he would not like to discuss this subject. Hailing Masood’s restraint, Sinha asks him to teach the same principles to Rahul Gandhi. Masood then calls Rahul Gandhi as his general and himself as the foot soldier.
To prove the greatness of his ‘general’, Masood says that whatever Rahul Gandhi says, the Modi government eventually follows. An example he cited to substantiate his delusion was that of the Israel-Hamas war.
Imran Masood then credited Rahul Gandhi for India supporting Palestine at the United Nations. “When people of one ideology were supporting Israel, India had to go to the UN and support Palestine. Because it is the demand of our foreign diplomacy”, he said.
“Hamas entered Israel and attacked. In response, Israel unleashed a genocide, when did we stand with Palestine then? We stood with Palestine when even those Modi calls friends, like PM Netanyahu, expressed opposition to Modi”.
While this assertion by Imran Masood made no sense to begin with, Sushant Sinha pressed on saying Hamas is a terrorist organisation which does not deserve any support.
To this, Imran Masood, while defending Hamas, asked if Bhagat Singh was a terrorist too, essentially, calling Hamas an organisation fighting for “freedom”.
When he was asked if there was a comparison between Bhagat Singh and Hamas, Masood replied in the affirmative and said, “They are fighting for their land. Bhagat Singh was also fighting for his land.”
“Bhagat Singh made the supreme sacrifice for his land. Israel is the occupier,” he added. “For you, Hamas is a terrorist organisation. I believe Hamas is fighting for its freedom. You are looking at their 250 hostages they (Hamas) had taken, but you are not looking at 1 lakh people Israel has killed.”
Imran Masood continued to defend Hamas even when Sushant Sinha listed the atrocities by terror organisation Hamas.
The terrorist attack by Hamas against innocent Israeli civilians
On the morning of 7th October 2023, Hamas terrorists launched a rocket attack on Israel and used it as a shield to barge into Israeli territory along with other armed terrorist organisations including Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Popular Resistance Committees. They breached the Gaza perimeter fence and launched a coordinated attack on civilians as well as military targets. The attack resulted in the death of over 1,300 people including women, the elderly, and children. Thousands were reported injured and hundreds were taken hostage by Hamas. The hostages were transported to Gaza.
The United Nation’s mission found that there was a pattern of extreme sexual violence including rape, gang rape and mutilation of corpses. The report indicated there were at least three locations where such heinous acts were witnessed by the victim.
There were around 3,500 attendees from Israel and other countries at the Nova Music Festival. As it was near the Gaza perimeter fence, it became the site of mass murder and sexual violence. According to the eyewitnesses and credible information gathered by the UN mission, there were multiple incidents of rape and gang rape. In several cases, the victims were murderers. Some of the most disturbing reports included instances where the corpses of women were raped by the terrorists. Several bodies were left naked from the waist down, tied and shot in the head revealing a systematic pattern of sexual violence.
The attendees of the Nova festivals and residents of the surrounding areas took Road 232 as their escape route. However, they faced unimaginable horrors while trying to save themselves. There were bodies found with severe injuries, including genital mutilation and extensive burn damage across the route. Witnesses reported that there were incidents of rape with those who tried to escape from Road 232. The mission team found a pattern of bodies that were partially or fully naked, suggesting there were incidents of sexual violence.
Similar atrocities were reported in the kibbutzim of Re’im, Be’eri, and Kfar Aza. In Kibbutz Re’im. According to reports, a woman was raped outside a bomb shelter. In Kibbutz Be’eri and Kfar Aza, the agencies found dead bodies of women who were naked, tied and shot, which indicated possible sexual violence.
The Nahal Oz military base became a hub for signals intelligence and saw significant casualties and abductions. There were reports of rape and genital mutilation at the base. Some reports suggest that the reports could not be verified, however, the pattern of injuries pointed there were possible cases of sexual violence. The mission team found clear and convincing evidence that hostages taken to Gaza were subjected to rape, sexualized torture, and other forms of inhumane treatment. The mission also believes that the atrocities are still ongoing against the hostages that are yet to be freed.
The UN report painted a grim picture of the atrocities committed by Hamas and its associated terrorist organisations against the women from Israel and other nations during the 7th October attack. The documented cases of sexual violence, rape of corpses, and degradation of dead bodies highlight there is an urgent need for accountability and justice for the victims. It was Hamas’s actions that resulted in the wrath of Israel on Gaza. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the alleged victims of Israel’s strikes on Gaza are collateral damage to Israel’s determination to rub off the name of Hamas from the face of the earth.
