Announcing Oct7FactCheck.com
Nick Burbank is the collective pseudonym of a 6-member research group who produced Oct7FactCheck.com, launched today. Nick’s story:
There is no justification for genocide. But Israel lied about 40 beheaded babies to convince the world there was.
The "40 babies" claim was used to clear the path for unimaginable violence. Israel pushed a #hamasisISIS hashtag, and Israeli leaders started demanding retribution. Western media outlets that have long proclaimed themselves to be “reliable” ran the story uncritically. The President of the United States said that he had seen pictures, himself, of this unimaginable atrocity.
But none of it was true.
Though the story spread widely, it was later walked back. The IDF admitted they could not confirm it happened, and later, that there were no young children killed at Kfar Azza. The White House admitted the President had not, in fact, seen the pictures that he had used to back Israel unquestioningly. The media outlets sheepishly retracted their stories too.
Sadly, people already believed. My friend in Israel who had previously protested Netanyahu became a zealot, sending me story after story, insisting that “these people” were irredeemable. For him, one of my good friends, these atrocities warranted the genocide of the people of Gaza.
As I responded and sought the truth surrounding these claims, I began collecting hundreds of links. After some time, the rest of the collective joined, and we began turning it into Oct7FactCheck.
Oct7FactCheck is an exhaustive collection of claims, where they originated, who propagated them, and whether the evidence confirms or refutes them. The events of Oct 7 are represented as accurately as possible in a living document that will be updated as new information comes to light. If inaccuracies are present, please let us know - we are invested in ensuring this is a reliable resource now and in the future.
Each claim has been cross referenced with multiple news reports, including eyewitness accounts, photos, and videos where available. Oct7FactCheck is intended to be a standalone resource for journalists, human rights organizations, legal professionals, and concerned humans interested in forming an accurate understanding of the events of Oct 7. We are releasing this information under the Creative Commons 1.0 Universal license.
We are releasing this today because just yesterday Malcom Shaw, Israel’s representative to the International Court of Justice repeated the claim that Hamas “mutilated children and even babies,” suggesting that these acts “may be seen as the real genocide.” Of the many claims of babies stabbed, babies hung on clotheslines, babies found in ovens, babies beheaded, none are true. (Over 10,000 children have been killed in Gaza since Oct 7).
We have worked for months to establish an accurate record of the events of Oct 7. We hope the readers find this resource valuable. Together, we can ensure the true story is told.
Nick Burbank is the collective pseudonym of a 6-member research group who produced this work. Comprising an Ivy League law student, a policy grad student, two intelligence analysts, a veteran, and a tech entrepreneur. Contact Nick at nick.burbank@techforpalestine.org, or via twitter at @nickburbank710 to discuss methodology and content.
Nick is a member of Tech For Palestine, a collaboration of tech founders, investors, engineers, product managers, marketers, and others, working to change tech by humanizing the Palestinian people. Contact media@techforpalestine.org for more details.