A trainer and canine from the Oketz Unit of the Israel Defense Forces. Photo: IDF

The Israel military on Thursday refuted accusations that one of its canines mauled an elderly Palestinian woman in her home in the northern Gaza city of Jabaliya, revealing that the dog was actually abducted and killed by the terrorist group Hamas.

Earlier this week, the Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera reported on footage of a dog from the Oketz canine unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) appearing to attack the woman. The brutal scene sparked outcry against the IDF online and throughout the Arab world.

According to the IDF, however, the German Shepherd in the video was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists, who subsequently used it to film the attack before killing the animal and booby-trapping its body with explosives in the event that Israeli soldiers tried to retrieve their canine comrade.

“The dog shown in the video is an Oketz unit dog that was abducted by the Hamas terrorist organization along with the combat equipment on its back. The incident occurred after contact with the dog was lost. The dog was never ordered to harm civilians,” an IDF spokesperson said, according to Israeli media reports. “The dog was killed and booby-trapped to harm our forces, as part of Hamas’ cynical exploitation.”

Earlier in the week on Tuesday, a video released by Al Jazeera showed an elderly, bedridden Palestinian woman, later identified as Dawlat Al Tanani, being mauled after she “refused to be forced out her house.” In an interview with the Qatari network, Al Tanani claimed to suffer “critical injuries” as a result of the attack. An Al Jazeera journalist also claimed to possess unpublished “exclusive footage of the injuries.” Al Tanini did not appear to have any injuries in Al-Jazeera’s interview.

Al Jazzera has been widely accused of broadcasting pro-Hamas propaganda during the war in Gaza. The network is partially funded by Qatar, which for years has hosted the Palestinian terrorist group’s top political leaders.

The footage of the dog attack sparked outrage and condemnation online. Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, posted on X/Twitter, “Shocking footage of an Israeli army dog attacking and viciously biting a 66-year-old Palestinian woman in her house in Jabaliya city, north of Gaza. Cowards!” Others online accused the IDF of “terrorism” and “war crimes.”

Hamas terrorists used the kidnapped dog to film the 12-second propaganda video before killing it and booby-trapping its body, according to the IDF.

The incident was not the first time that false or misleading videos appearing to show Palestinian suffering have circulated online. In 2005, historian Richard Landes coined the term “Pallywood,” a synthesis of “Palestine” and “Hollywood,” to describe instances in which Palestinian and Arab media lied or obfuscated the truth to appeal to Western sympathies.

Mr. FAFO appearing to play the role of radiologist at a Gaza hospital. His other roles include fighter, victim of an Israeli bombardment, singer, terrorist, and foreign correspondent in Gaza Photo: Screenshot

Earlier in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, a Palestinian social media personality known as Mr. FAFO went viral for appearing to show the suffering of Palestinians. It quickly turned out that Mr. FAFO’s escapades, including his numerous injuries, were Hamas propaganda meant to capture the attention and harden the anti-Israel sentiments of impressionable social media users.

Since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing over 1,200 people and taking more than 250 others back to Gaza as hostages, the IDF has deployed its Oketz unit throughout the Palestinian enclave to clear Hamas’ underground tunnels, detect explosives and weapons, find hostages, and prevent Hamas ambushes against IDF soldiers.

According to Israeli press reports, the IDF this week managed to reach the deceased dog’s body and neutralize the charges placed by Hamas. On Wednesday, the dog’s body was reportedly returned to Israel and brought to its military unit for burial.