Two of the men at the forefront of the battle to expose the truth behind the Mohamed al-Dura hoax, applauded a report released by the Israeli government Monday that officially debunked a French television report suggesting the boy was killed by direct IDF fire.

“This official report is important because one of the main arguments of our opponents has always been the silence of the Israeli authorities,” Phillipe Karsenty, who was one of the first people to accuse the France 2 TV network of airing the false report and is currently involved in a court case with the reporter of the news story, Charles Enderlin, told The Algemeiner in an email.

The incident took place on Sept. 30, 2000, when Jamal al-Dura and his 12-year-old son Muhammad were filmed as they were taking cover behind a concrete barrier after they were caught in a crossfire between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian Arab police forces at the Netzarim Junction, on the Gaza Strip’s main north-south highway.

Enderlin then reported for France 2 that the boy was killed by direct fire from a nearby IDF post. The story then reverberated around the world and has been a source of outrage for many in the Arab and Muslim communities ever since.

Richard Prasquier, President of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, told The Algemeiner that he was pleased with the release of the report.

“This report gives support and credibility to the fight that had been carried on by Philippe Karsenty and others, including the CRIF and myself, in order to advance the idea that the broadcast of the death of Mohamed Al Dura on September 30th, 2000 is severely flawed,” he said in an email.

“I am therefore very glad and I want to thank Mr. Yossi Kuperwasser, director general of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, who took this matter very seriously, acknowledging that this broadcast had  dreadful effects for the image of Israel, has brought about numerous vocations of terrorists in Israel and staunch foes of the Jewish state in our countries.”