“Hundreds [of Bullets]…”

Interviewed by Esther Schapira a year after the Al Durah incident Talal Abu Rahma, France2’s Palestinian photojournalist, recounts how many bullets the Israelis fired during the 45 minutes over which Abu Rahma alleges the IDF targeted the Al Durahs as they huddled by the wall at Netzarim Junction on September 30, 2000.

Problem 1: External inconsistency – How is it that after “hundreds of bullets” fired during a period of “45 minutes” at the Al Durahs the final frames of Abu Rahma’s film and pictures taken the following day evidence only 8 bullet holes in the wall behind the Al-Durahs.

8-bullets-in-the-wallHere is a still from the final frames of Abu Rahma’s footage of the Al Durah’s by the barrel showing a total of 8 bullet holes – nowhere near the 40 claimed by Abu Rahma.

It is significant that all of these bullet holes evidence shots coming from a right angle to the wall – from the direction of Palestinian positions – and not from direction of the Israeli post. See Esther Schapira’s 2009 documentary “Das kind, der Tod und die Warheit” at 22:22 – 23:14.

Problem 2. External inconsistency – If the IDF had focused on the Al Durahs and unleashed 45 minutes of continuous fire, there would there have been thousands of bullets fired – not “hundreds” as alleged by Abu Rahma- and the Al-Durahs would have been all but obliterated.