Forensic Medicine Chief Details Hamas Atrocities, Including Planned Extermination

Professor Chen Kugel, Director of the National Center for Forensic Medicine, has revealed graphic evidence of the atrocities committed by Hamas during the October 7th attacks, including images from autopsies that have not been previously published. Kugel described finding soot in the windpipes of victims, indicating they were burned alive, and presented evidence of deliberate disfigurement and attempts to erase victims' identities. The immense scale of the task, involving the examination of over 900 bodies from the October 7th attacks and the subsequent "Swords of Iron" war, took a significant personal toll on Kugel, leading to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The forensic work involved identifying thousands of body bags, many containing dismembered remains, and processing over 900 bodies. Kugel also detailed the arduous process of identifying victims, including a young woman killed in a Nova party ambulance, whose DNA was extracted from a necklace. The center also processed hundreds of bodies of terrorists and Gazan civilians in a search for hostages, a process that proved fruitless.

Kugel highlighted the systematic nature of the Hamas attacks, stating that the brutality was not spontaneous but followed a planned operational procedure. He cited examples such as foreign workers being locked in a room, shot in the legs, and left to bleed out, and individuals being bound and executed. The deliberate use of accelerants in some cases, turning rooms into makeshift crematoria, further indicated a planned extermination strategy.

Despite the overwhelming horror, Kugel also spoke of the profound human goodness he witnessed, particularly the dedication of volunteers and civilians who assisted the forensic teams. He recounted breaking down in tears not from the atrocities, but from the overwhelming kindness shown to the workers. The identification process, which achieved 100% certainty for all victims, was unprecedented in forensic medicine, surpassing even the efforts after the 9/11 attacks.

Kugel also shared his experience examining the body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, noting the immense evil he represented. He was part of a committee that determined the deaths of 44 hostages in Gaza without forensic evidence, a groundbreaking decision. Kugel expressed frustration with what he perceives as antisemitism in international academic circles, citing the rejection of research papers detailing the atrocities by prestigious journals.