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Scottish Sun
05-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
My village was obliterated by Hamas terrorists and I'm terrified of another massacre… I fear I won't wake up one day
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A DEFIANT resident of a kibbutz decimated by Hamas has vowed to return home - but admits she will live in fear of a repeat of October 7. Vile Hamas terrorists attacked Nir Oz - just a mile from the Gaza border - from three directions, killing at random and torching homes. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Homes in kibbutz Nir Oz are set to be redeveloped Credit: Katie Davis for The Sun 8 Rita Lifshitz outside her father-in-law Oded's burnt-out home 8 Almost all houses in the community were destroyed by terrorists Credit: Katie Davis for The Sun The Sun last month visited the kibbutz, which - more than a year and a half on from the atrocity - remains a heartbreaking memorial to the devastation and destruction Hamas inflicted. I was shown around by resident Rita Lifshitz, whose father-in-law Oded was brutally kidnapped by Hamas and killed in captivity. Rows of modest, single-storey homes sit burnt-out with debris and shards of glass strewn throughout the kibbutz. Last month, the area's management agreed with the Israeli state on a plan to invest over NIS 350 million (£70m) in redeveloping the community. Only a handful of the 220 homes escaped the horror Hamas unleashed and more than a quarter of the kibbutz's residents were either killed or taken hostage. Rita insists that despite the kibbutz being just a stone's throw from Gaza, survivors - including herself - will return one day. She told The Sun: "Of course it's scary, but we are strong and will be back. "I will go to sleep in the night and of course I will wonder if I will wake up in the morning. "But we refuse to live in fear of Hamas." Early on October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters tore through Israel's defences - blowing up security cameras, automated weapons systems and motion detectors before mowing down the fence. I visited kibbutz where Hamas terrorists slaughtered families & left trail of carnage… what I saw made my blood run cold An IDF source in Tel Aviv told me it was "one of the biggest failures in Israel's history". Rita has insisted security will need to be ramped up before residents can move back - including building an IDF base nearby. She said: "First of all, this [the October 7 attack] should have been stopped by the security that is there. I don't understand what happened here. "So now they need to make it stronger, the security in the area, to keep us safe. "We've been living under rockets for 20 years and we got used to it. "But you cannot get used to terrorists that might come in again. "So there has to be a much stronger security by the border, by our fields. "Our fields are just by the fence [the divide with Gaza]. 8 Oded and Yocheved were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz Credit: Reuters 8 Oded's body was released in a coffin in a vile ceremony alongside the Bibas children Credit: Getty What happened to Oded Lifshitz? ODED, a long-term defender of Palestinian rights, and his wife Yocheved were viciously kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz during Hamas' warped October 7 massacre. Yocheved, 85, was released 16 days later - but 83-year-old Oded, who suffered health issues, was cruelly kept in captivity in Gaza. His bewildered family spent months praying for his freedom but were left heartbroken when his body was callously returned in a locked coffin by gun-toting Hamas monsters in February. Journalist Oded died in Hamas captivity despite campaigning for the recognition of Palestinian rights and peace between Arabs and Jews. Oded, whose doctor daughter Sharone lives in Walthamstow, East London, was at his home in the kibbutz which he helped found when unforgiving Hamas terrorists swept across the border. Oded and Yocheved spent years driving sick Palestinians to hospitals in Israel for treatment, but in a twisted irony were hauled into the abyss of conflict. Yocheved was taken on the back of a motorbike, and the final time she saw Oded he was lying at the edge of their home before he was also kidnapped. While Yocheved returned to Israel two weeks later, the world waited with bated breath for news on Oded as well as Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir. Warped Hamas officials claimed they were all killed in an Israeli airstrike without any proof. Hopes father-of-four Oded and the Bibas family were still alive were shattered when Hamas revealed their bodies would be released in February during the ceasefire. After 503 days of torment, Hamas handed over four coffins containing what was supposed to be the bodies of Oded, Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. "So there should be army on this border all the time. And they should also build a base near us, by the fields. "Hamas needs to be eliminated." Rita said it will take around three years to fully rehabilitate Nir Oz, whose residents have been relocated to temporary housing more than an hour's drive away in Kiryat Gat. She said: "There were only seven houses that were not touched out of 220. "We need a new kindergarten, and the kitchen, supermarket and factory all have to be rebuilt again. We've been living under rockets for 20 years and we got used to it. But you cannot get used to terrorists that might come in again. Rita Lifshitz "We're already working in the gardens and we are trying to keep the kibbutz a bit alive." The redevelopment is being spearheaded by the Tekuma Directorate, set up to rebuild Gaza border communities. Its director Aviad Friedman said reconstruction of Nir Oz, where Shiri Bibas and her boy Ariel and Kfir were snatched from - will be completed in three stages Surviving residents of Nir Oz have vowed not to return until the remaining live hostages and the bodies of those killed were returned home. Rita said: "Hamas must take down their weapons, start to build up Gaza and bring back our hostages. 8 The Bibas family home which Shiri and her children were abducted from Credit: Katie Davis for The Sun 8 It was take around three years to redevelop the kibbutz Credit: Katie Davis for The Sun "Our hostages need to be back today, now. "Hamas should stop the war. Israel should stop the war. Build up Gaza with no terror. Leave all those rockets. Leave all those weapons." It comes after Israeli prosecutors told The Sun how Hamas terrorists who unleashed carnage on Nir Oz could face the death penalty. Israeli intelligence officers have worked tirelessly to scour piles of evidence collected since Hamas triggered war in October 2023. Agents have been putting together a compelling case to charge multiple monsters who murdered and assaulted citizens after tearing through Israel's defences. Evidence found on laptops seized during military operations in Gaza has allowed intelligence chiefs to compile a strong case to go to trial. At least 22 Hamas terrorists are set to be charged - all of whom attacked kibbutz Nir Oz. If they are executed, it will be the first time Israel has exercised the death penalty in more than 60 years in a testament to the depth of depravity of the terror group's crimes.
Scottish Sun
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Hamas terrorists who murdered, raped & kidnapped innocents will be hanged in first Israeli death penalty in six decades
It would be the first time Israel has executed anyone since the only time it did so in 1962 TO THE GALLOWS Hamas terrorists who murdered, raped & kidnapped innocents will be hanged in first Israeli death penalty in six decades Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EVIL Hamas terrorists who slaughtered, raped and tortured innocent civilians on October 7 are set to be executed, prosecutors told The Sun. It will be the first time Israel has exercised the death penalty in more than 60 years in a testament to the depth of depravity of the terror group's crimes. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Hamas terrorists holding up guns. Stock picture Credit: APAImages / Polaris 7 Kibbutz Nir Oz in Israel was decimated by Hamas on October 7, 2023 Credit: Katie Davis for The Sun 7 The community remains in ruins a year and a half on Credit: Katie Davis for The Sun Israeli intelligence officers have worked tirelessly to scour piles of evidence collected since Hamas triggered war in October 2023. Agents have been putting together a compelling case to charge multiple monsters who murdered and assaulted citizens after tearing through Israel's defences. Evidence found on laptops seized during military operations in Gaza has allowed intelligence chiefs to compile a strong case to go to trial. At least 22 Hamas terrorists are set to be charged - all of whom attacked kibbutz Nir Oz, one of the worst hit sites of the atrocity. The kibbutz, just a mile from the Gaza border, was attacked from three directions and Hamas brutes killed at random. Spineless terrorists torched homes as families cowered inside before dragging hostages, including Shiri Bibas and her son Ariel and Kfir and Oded Lifshitz, back to Gaza. Their bodies were sickeningly released in a stomach-churning ceremony earlier this year. Israel's leading prosecutors believe that because of the callous nature of Hamas' crimes, the beasts will likely be executed. Sources involved in the case confirmed to The Sun those found guilty could be sent to the gallows and hanged. It would be the first time the country has executed anyone since the only time it did so in 1962, when wicked Nazi Adolf Eichmann was executed. I visited kibbutz where Hamas terrorists slaughtered families & left trail of carnage… what I saw made my blood run cold Military prosecutor Alan Baker, who has been a judge on scores of high-profile terrorist cases, said Israel is also no longer concerned by international pressure in dealing with these matters. Baker, former legal adviser to Israel's Foreign Office and ex-Israeli ambassador to Canada, told The Sun: "About 30 years ago, I was the prosecutor on the trial of a particularly nasty and cruel terrorist, and I managed to get him convicted with the death penalty. "It wasn't carried out at the time, because of a theory that it could encourage terrorists to do more horrific acts, if they feel like they are going to die anyway. "There is of course, also always the concern of what the international community thinks too. "In these particular cases, because of the cruel nature of these atrocities, I don't think the sensitivity of what world will think will be considered, as there is now the feeling that the rest of the world inevitably hate us whatever we do. 'We are still as hated as we were eighty years ago. 'These people not only crossed the border illegally, but there are thousands of residents of Gaza who tagged along, who stole whatever they liked, televisions, etc. and set fire to houses. What happened to the Bibas family? HAMAS terrorists kidnapped the Bibas family from their home in Nir Oz during the horror October 7 assault. Yarden Bibas was abducted separately from his wife Shiri and son Ariel, four, and nine-month-old Kfir. They were hauled to Gaza where they were held hostage. Shiri's parents were both killed in the attack on the kibbutz. Shiri and her boys - the two youngest hostages taken from Israel on October 7 - became symbols of the hostage crisis. Late in 2023, Hamas claimed the mum and youngsters were killed in an Israeli airstrike without offering any proof. Israeli authorities were unable to confirm their deaths. Fears for Shiri, Ariel and Kfir grew as the months went by amid a lack of confirmation whether they were still alive or not. On February 1, Yarden was released amid the ceasefire after 484 days in captivity. Then on February 20, Hamas handed over coffins it said contained the bodies of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. Ariel and Kfir's remains were verified by Israel, but the remains of the female did not match Shiri's DNA. Her body was finally handed back on the evening of February 21. Hundreds lined the streets for their funerals on February 26, with buildings and monuments around the world illuminated in orange as a tribute to the boys' hair colour. Shiri, Ariel and Kfir were buried alongside her parents in Tsoher Regional Cemetery. 'There is a vast array of offenses that have been committed, including the heavy stuff, rape and murders, and these crimes against humanity will have to be dealt with very seriously.' Baker, who now heads the international law program at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Security Affairs, has implored the prosecuting team to fully consider "the seriousness of these criminals". He added: "They committed these crimes in Israel, they invaded, they committed offences according to Israeli law, and this will have to be overseen by Israeli judges. 'I would tell them not to take into consideration what the Pope, the French government, the British etc will say, because inevitably whatever we do, whether we keep them in prison or we hang them, Israel will be condemned anyway. 'I trust they will do what they need to do, without looking at any external consideration. That is the last thing that should enter into the equation.' 7 Shiri's face became a symbol of the horrors of October 7, when she and the children were taken by Hamas Credit: Ian Whittaker 7 Kfir Bibas was just nine months when he was kidnapped Credit: Reuters As well as the 22 set for indictment, at least 300 more terrorists who took part in the October 7 attacks are being held in Israeli prisons. Maurice Hirsch, director of the Initiative for Palestinian Authority Accountability and Reform in the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, said the complexity of Israel's legal system means the cases could go in many directions. But because these are deemed the most horrific acts since the Holocaust, the death penalty upon conviction is the most likely outcome, he said. Hirsch, a senior legal analyst at Human Rights Voices, said: 'The death penalty may seem like a crazy scenario to contemplate, but it is very possible. "They should be subject to the death penalty, but it will depend on whether Israel will be able to withstand international pressure. 'There is a question of which crimes we prosecute for. If there is no specific one victim, and as they [the terrorists] don't even know who they've murdered, that could make things challenging. 'Where, when were they arrested? We can see if any of them can be linked to direct crimes. Fogs are still uncovering, but the country will do well if we can clear this up. 'It would be convenient if we could isolate 22 cases, but if I was a defense lawyer, I would ask for the evidence of mass murder.' More than a quarter of the kibbutz's residents were either killed or taken hostage in one of the most vile atrocities on October 7. Per capita, Nir Oz suffered the most bloodshed and damage. 7 Oded Lifshitz's body was released in a coffin in a vile ceremony alongside the Bibas children Credit: Getty
The Irish Sun
03-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Hamas terrorists who murdered, raped & kidnapped innocents will be hanged in first Israeli death penalty in six decades
EVIL Hamas terrorists who slaughtered, raped and tortured innocent civilians on October 7 are set to be executed, prosecutors told The Sun. It will be the first time Israel has exercised the death penalty in more than 60 years in a testament to the depth of depravity of the terror group's crimes. 7 Hamas terrorists holding up guns. Stock picture Credit: APAImages / Polaris 7 Kibbutz Nir Oz in Israel was decimated by Hamas on October 7, 2023 Credit: Katie Davis for The Sun 7 The community remains in ruins a year and a half on Credit: Katie Davis for The Sun Israeli intelligence officers have worked tirelessly to scour piles of evidence collected since Hamas triggered war in October 2023. Agents have been putting together a compelling case to charge multiple monsters who murdered and assaulted citizens after tearing through Israel's defences. Evidence found on laptops seized during military operations in Gaza has allowed intelligence chiefs to compile a strong case to go to trial. At least 22 Hamas terrorists are set to be charged - all of whom attacked Read more on Hamas The kibbutz, just a mile from the Gaza border, was attacked from three directions and Hamas brutes killed at random. Spineless terrorists torched homes as families cowered inside before dragging hostages, including Their bodies were sickeningly released in a stomach-churning ceremony earlier this year. Israel's leading prosecutors believe that because of the callous nature of Hamas' crimes, the beasts will likely be executed. Most read in The Sun Sources involved in the case confirmed to The Sun those found guilty could be sent to the gallows and hanged. It would be the first time the country has executed anyone since the only time it did so in 1962, when wicked Nazi Adolf Eichmann was executed. I visited kibbutz where Hamas terrorists slaughtered families & left trail of carnage… what I saw made my blood run cold Military prosecutor Alan Baker, who has been a judge on scores of high-profile terrorist cases, said Israel is also no longer concerned by international pressure in dealing with these matters. Baker, former legal adviser to Israel's Foreign Office and ex-Israeli ambassador to Canada, told The Sun: "About 30 years ago, I was the prosecutor on the trial of a particularly nasty and cruel terrorist, and I managed to get him convicted with the death penalty. "It wasn't carried out at the time, because of a theory that it could encourage terrorists to do more horrific acts, if they feel like they are going to die anyway. "There is of course, also always the concern of what the international community thinks too. "In these particular cases, because of the cruel nature of these atrocities, I don't think the sensitivity of what world will think will be considered, as there is now the feeling that the rest of the world inevitably hate us whatever we do. 'We are still as hated as we were eighty years ago. 'These people not only crossed the border illegally, but there are thousands of residents of Gaza who tagged along, who stole whatever they liked, televisions, etc. and set fire to houses. What happened to the Bibas family? HAMAS terrorists kidnapped the Bibas family from their home in Nir Oz during the horror October 7 assault. Yarden Bibas was abducted separately from his wife Shiri and son Ariel, four, and nine-month-old Kfir. They were hauled to Gaza where they were held hostage. Shiri's parents were both killed in the attack on the kibbutz. Shiri and her boys - the two youngest hostages taken from Israel on October 7 - became symbols of the hostage crisis. Late in 2023, Hamas claimed the mum and youngsters were killed in an Israeli airstrike without offering any proof. Israeli authorities were unable to confirm their deaths. Fears for Shiri, Ariel and Kfir grew as the months went by amid a lack of confirmation whether they were still alive or not. On February 1, Yarden was released amid the ceasefire after 484 days in captivity. Then on February 20, Hamas handed over coffins it said contained the bodies of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir. Ariel and Kfir's remains were verified by Israel, but the remains of the female did not match Shiri's DNA. Her body was finally handed back on the evening of February 21. Hundreds lined the streets for their funerals on February 26, with buildings and monuments around the world illuminated in orange as a tribute to the boys' hair colour. Shiri, Ariel and Kfir were buried alongside her parents in Tsoher Regional Cemetery. 'There is a vast array of offenses that have been committed, including the heavy stuff, rape and murders, and these crimes against humanity will have to be dealt with very seriously.' Baker, who now heads the international law program at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Security Affairs, has implored the prosecuting team to fully consider "the seriousness of these criminals". He added: "They committed these crimes in Israel, they invaded, they committed offences according to Israeli law, and this will have to be overseen by Israeli judges. 'I would tell them not to take into consideration what the Pope, the French government, the British etc will say, because inevitably whatever we do, whether we keep them in prison or we hang them, Israel will be condemned anyway. 'I trust they will do what they need to do, without looking at any external consideration. That is the last thing that should enter into the equation.' 7 Shiri's face became a symbol of the horrors of October 7, when she and the children were taken by Hamas Credit: Ian Whittaker 7 Kfir Bibas was just nine months when he was kidnapped Credit: Reuters As well as the 22 set for indictment, at least 300 more terrorists who took part in the October 7 attacks are being held in Israeli prisons. Maurice Hirsch, director of the Initiative for Palestinian Authority Accountability and Reform in the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, said the complexity of Israel's legal system means the cases could go in many directions. But because these are deemed the most horrific acts since the Holocaust, the death penalty upon conviction is the most likely outcome, he said. Hirsch, a senior legal analyst at Human Rights Voices, said: 'The death penalty may seem like a crazy scenario to contemplate, but it is very possible. "They should be subject to the death penalty, but it will depend on whether Israel will be able to withstand international pressure. 'There is a question of which crimes we prosecute for. If there is no specific one victim, and as they [the terrorists] don't even know who they've murdered, that could make things challenging. 'Where, when were they arrested? We can see if any of them can be linked to direct crimes. Fogs are still uncovering, but the country will do well if we can clear this up. 'It would be convenient if we could isolate 22 cases, but if I was a defense lawyer, I would ask for the evidence of mass murder.' More than a quarter of the kibbutz's residents were either killed or taken hostage in one of the most vile atrocities on October 7. Per capita, Nir Oz suffered the most bloodshed and damage. 7 Oded Lifshitz's body was released in a coffin in a vile ceremony alongside the Bibas children Credit: Getty 7
The Sun
27-04-2025
- The Sun
AI could destroy entire justice system by sending innocent people to JAIL with fake CCTV, Making a Murderer lawyer warns
Katie Davis David Rivers Published: Invalid Date, AI could wreak havoc in the justice system by sending innocent people to jail, a top lawyer has warned. Jerry Buting, who defended Steven Avery in Netflix hit Making a Murderer, said video doctoring is becoming so sophisticated it is increasingly hard to spot. 3 3 3 He believes advanced AI convincingly fabricating evidence could lead to innocent people being thrown behind bars. Buting, author of Illusion of Justice, told The Sun: 'More and more people could get convicted.' Deepfake technology is becoming worryingly advanced and exceedingly more difficult to regulate. Experts have previously told The Sun that deepfakes are the "biggest evolving threat" when it comes to cybercrime. Deepfakes are fraudulent videos that appear to show a person doing - and possibly saying - things they did not do. Artificial intelligence-style software is used to clone the features of a person and map them onto something else. It could see people accused of crimes they didn't commit in a chilling echo of BBC drama The Capture. The show saw a former British soldier accused of kidnap and murder based on seemingly definitive CCTV footage which had actually been altered. Buting said: "The tricky part is when AI gets to the point where you can doctor evidence without it being obvious, where you can alter videos. 'There are so many CCTV cameras in the UK, virtually every square foot is covered. Deepfakes: A Digital Threat to Society 'But if that could be altered in some way so that it is designed to present something that's not true, it could be damaging to the defence or prosecution. "Then what can we believe if we can't believe our own eyes?' Buting, who defended Avery in his now infamous 2007 murder trial, said AI is now in a race with experts who are being trained to tell the difference. But the US-based criminal defence lawyer claims that is no guarantee to stop sickos twisting the truth. Buting claimed: 'It may result in dismissals but I think it's more likely to result in wrongful convictions because law enforcement and the prosecution just have more resources. "Nobody really knows how AI is going to impact the justice system. "But there are also very skilled people who are trying to develop techniques of being able to tell when something has been altered, even at a sophisticated level. "How AI actually affects the legal system is still very much up in the air. Deepfakes – what are they, and how do they work? Here's what you need to know... Deepfakes are phoney videos of people that look perfectly real They're made using computers to generate convincing representations of events that never happened Often, this involves swapping the face of one person onto another, or making them say whatever you want The process begins by feeding an AI hundreds or even thousands of photos of the victim A machine learning algorithm swaps out certain parts frame-by-frame until it spits out a realistic, but fake, photo or video In one famous deepfake clip, comedian Jordan Peele created a realistic video of Barack Obama in which the former President called Donald Trump a 'dipsh*t' In another, the face of Will Smith is pasted onto the character of Neo in the action flick The Matrix. Smith famously turned down the role to star in flop movie Wild Wild West, while the Matrix role went to Keanu Reeves "If people are able to discover that evidence has been altered, let's say it's a situation where the defence has an expert who can look at the metadata and all the background, then that may very well result in a dismissal of the case, and should. 'Because the evidence was altered, it's original destroyed, how can we believe anything anymore?" Former White House Information Officer Theresa Payton previously warned The Sun about the huge risks deepfakes pose to society. She said: "This technology poses risks if misused by criminal syndicates or nation-state cyber operatives. "Malicious applications include creating fake personas to spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and conduct sophisticated social engineering attacks." In Black Mirror style, Payton warned malicious actors could exploit this technology to sow confusion and chaos by creating deepfakes of world leaders or famous faces - dead or alive. Buting warned that although teams are being urgently equipped with skills to spot deepfakes, the pace at which the technology is advancing could soon become a real issue. Who is Steven Avery? STEVEN Avery is serving a life sentence at Wisconsin's Waupun Correctional Institution. He and his nephew Brendan Dassey were convicted of the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach. He has been fighting for his freedom ever since he was found guilty of murder in 2007. Avery argued that his conviction was based on planted evidence and false testimony. In 1985, Avery was falsely convicted of sexually assaulting a young female jogger. It took 18 years for his conviction to be overturned and he was given a $36million (£28.2million) payout in compensation. But days later, he was re-arrested for the murder of Teresa Halbach. The 62-year-old is continuing serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. In the 2015 Netflix original series Making a Murderer, Avery documented his struggle for "justice." In the last episode of the series, viewers were told that Avery had exhausted his appeals and was no longer entitled to state-appointed legal representation. He added: 'I do fear it could be an issue sooner rather than later. "There has been a steady erosion in the defence in the UK, for example barristers make very little money, really, for what they have to do. 'There is a real imbalance. The whole idea of an adversary system which the UK employs as do we in the US, is if you have two relatively skilled, equal parties on each side presenting their view of the evidence against the others that the truth will come out. 'Or that the jury will be able to discern the truth or close to it in anyway, whatever justice might be. 'But to the extent that there is this big imbalance and the defence is unskilled or underpaid, then you tend to get lower quality or lower experienced attorneys. 'That's been going on for a long time, so then when you add something like AI to it, it's going to be even harder." Buting became internationally renowned after appearing on the 2015 Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer. He alleged Avery had been convicted of a murder he didn't commit, falling foul of a set-up. But Avery, now 62, was found guilty and is serving a life sentence for the murder of Teresa Halbach in 2005.
