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An Israeli first responder recalls tending to the body of a baby burnt in an oven
(JTA) — It was on the fourth day of the war between Israel and Hamas, Asher Moskowitz recalled, that he saw the baby among the corpses at Camp Shura.
Moskowitz had come to Shura, a military base near the central Israeli city of Ramle, as a volunteer with the United Hatzalah emergency response corps. The base had been transformed into a center for identifying those killed in the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas, the terror group that controls Gaza, and Moskowitz was soon pulled into the gruesome task of helping to unload and transfer dozens of bodies that arrived there.
The baby came from Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities hardest hit in the attack. It arrived in a small bag whose contents told a grim story: a tiny body, burnt and swollen, with the telltale marks from being pressed against a heating element.
“They took the baby and put it, literally, in a kitchen oven,” Moskowitz said in a video testimony recounting the assessment of professional staff at the base.
The video was recorded at Hatzalah’s request to preserve a firsthand account of what Moskowitz saw, and it was shared with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on Tuesday. The video, one of several recordings of Hatzalah volunteers describing what they saw, had not been made public as of Tuesday afternoon.
“The body hardened and, unfortunately, appeared to have also swollen,” he said. “And really, the heating element of the oven was on the body itself.”
The list of atrocities that has emerged from Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel is so long as to feel endless. First responders and survivors have related stories of burnt bodies, of people tied up and murdered, of partygoers gunned down en masse at a music festival.
But the story of the baby burnt in an oven has attracted particular attention this week for a number of reasons, in addition to the tender age of the victim. The presence of an oven evokes the horrors of the Holocaust in graphic terms, creating a link between the antisemitic genocide of 80 years ago and Oct. 7, which was the bloodiest day for Jews since then.
The story has also drawn attention because it was shared publicly for the first time when Hatzalah’s founder and president spoke at an American political convention in Las Vegas.
“We saw a little baby in an oven,” Eli Beer, the founder and president of Hatzalah, said in a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual conference on Saturday night.
As the story spread on social media, some responded with shock that there were yet more revelations to come about atrocities committed on Oct. 7. At least one prominent Palestinian voice drew condemnation for responding with a joke. And a few people wondered aloud whether the story was true, given that it had not previously been reported.
The Israeli government has been engaged in efforts to head off or refute claims that the massacre and its attendant atrocities were fabricated or exaggerated. In the days after the massacre, Israel invited foreign journalists to tour Kfar Aza and other ravaged communities, and last week, it showed them 43 minutes of raw footage from Oct. 7 to counter what a government spokesperson called “a Holocaust denial-like phenomenon evolving in real time.”
Beer said he’s aware that people are denying that the atrocities took place, or are casting doubt on their scale — something he considers akin to Holocaust denial given the depth and breadth of evidence. But he said he had “not at all” worried about people denying this story because of the time that had elapsed since Oct. 7.
“I wasn’t concerned,” he said. “I don’t understand why people think this is the worst. This is not even the worst. Why is an oven the worst? Why is [it] not murdering children in front of their parents?”
Destruction caused by Hamas in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, near the Israeli-Gaza border, in southern Israel, Oct. 10, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Speaking to JTA on Tuesday, Beer said he learned of the atrocity from at least two of his volunteers. He first heard of it soon after it occurred, from a volunteer who was on the scene on Oct. 8 when a team of first responders discovered the baby’s body, along with the bodies of the murdered parents. Moskowitz then called Beer “a day or two” after he saw the body at Shura.
That story was swirling in his head, Beer said, along with hundreds of others, as the days went by and more victims were identified. While that was happening, Beer continued his work with Hatzalah while under Hamas rocket fire. In addition, two Hatzalah volunteers were killed in Hamas’ attack, and many more are suffering post-traumatic stress, he said. His son is serving i the Israeli military.
Only on his trip to Las Vegas, Beer said, was he able to get a good night’s sleep and clear his head a bit. On the day of the speech, he thought of the story of the baby burned in an oven and decided to include it in his remarks.
“I said, you know what, I heard these stories, and people have to hear it,” he said. “And even so, it’s hard to believe that all these tragedies were happening. But it happened. All these bad things happened.”
There is still much that is unknown, and that may never be known, about the baby’s death — including, for now, the child’s name and age. The parents were killed alongside the baby, and the house was torched, Beer said. According to a Washington Post report on Tuesday, Israeli officials have yet to identify some 200 bodies because they were mutilated or burned.
That paucity of knowledge leads, Beer said, to a number of gruesome questions: Did Hamas terrorists put the baby in the oven, then kill the baby as they turned the oven on? Did the baby’s parents hide the child in the oven to keep them safe from the attackers, only to burn as the house was set aflame? When was the baby killed?
“They have many bodies that aren’t identified yet,” Beer said. “Luckily today there is technology that they can do DNA and everything, but what happens when the whole family are murdered?”
He added, “A lot of the stories will never be told because the people that saw it and witnessed it are not with us anymore.”
In his video testimony, Moskowitz also recognized the need to counter denial of the massacre’s horrors.
“In the context of these horrors we need to show the world and tell the world that it is impossible to deny what they did,” he said. “They raped women, they killed bodies, they killed living people. They amputated limbs, cut off heads — horrors that have already been seen. But this is a horror that we must tell the world.”
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The post An Israeli first responder recalls tending to the body of a baby burnt in an oven appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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US Congress Pushes to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization
US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaking at a press conference about the United States restricting weapons for Israel, at the US Capitol, Washington, DC. Photo: Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Members of the US Congress are moving quickly to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as an official terrorist organization.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) announced on Tuesday that he will reintroduce an updated version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act.
“In the coming days, I will be circulating and re-introducing a modernized version of the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act, which I have been pushing for my entire Senate career,” he posted on X/Twitter. “The Muslim Brotherhood used the Biden administration to consolidate and deepen their influence, but the Trump administration and Republican Congress can no longer afford to avoid the threat they pose to Americans and American national security.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) sent a letter to the White House on Tuesday asking US President Donald Trump to open an investigation into the Muslim Brotherhood, saying that the group maintains “a documented history of promoting extremist ideologies.”
“Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE all declared the Muslim Brotherhood an FTO [foriegn terrorist organization] over a decade ago, and France is considering its own action. Following suit would help the US disrupt the Muslim Brotherhood’s ability to recruit and finance terror around the globe,” Moskowitz wrote on X/Twitter.
The push to proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood gained momentum last month, when the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) organized a meeting to help members of Congress develop “strategies to ban the growing threat of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States,” the research group said in a press release.
“The Muslim Brotherhood appears to be the intellectual inspiration behind all Islamist groups (and their jihadist offshoots) that operate today, such as ISIS, al Qaeda, and Hamas,” ISGAP wrote in a 2023 report. “Sunni jihadist groups are grounded in the firm ideological roots that key MB [Muslim Brotherhood] ideologues pioneered in the last century.”
Hamas, the internationally designated terrorist group that has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades and perpetrated the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust with its invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, is a Palestinian offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Both Cruz and Moskowitz noted that Hamas is a “branch” and an “affiliate” of the global Islamist movement.
While several countries in the Middle East have already classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization, the United States has yet to do the same, despite several attempts by Congress over the years. During Trump’s first term in office, officials in both the White House and Congress took initial steps toward sanctioning the group’s international branches, but a formal designation was never finalized.
US lawmakers believe they have identified multiple pathways to economically cripple the internationally designated terror organization. Congress could combat the Muslim Brotherhood by designating it a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) or placing it on the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list. Both options would levy heavy penalties on the group through methods such as freezing its assets or sanctioning its leadership.
The post US Congress Pushes to Designate Muslim Brotherhood as a Terrorist Organization first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iranian FM Meets Hezbollah Leader in Beirut as Tehran Tries to Ramp Up Support for Weakened Terror Proxy
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi lays a wreath as he visits the burial site of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, June 3, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem in Beirut on Wednesday, as Tehran moves to bolster its weakened terror proxy and maintain its presence in Lebanon.
During their meeting, Qassem expressed gratitude to the Islamist regime in Iran for its regional influence and “steadfast support of Palestinian resistance factions.”
According to local media, he also emphasized his commitment to Lebanon’s “progress, stability, sovereignty, and the expulsion of occupation from its territory.”
The Iranian-backed terrorist group has been struggling to maintain its political grip in Lebanon as it continues to reel from the devastating consequences of its war with Israel — a conflict that erupted after Hezbollah expressed “solidarity” with Hamas following the Palestinian terrorist group’s invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
As part of his trip to Beirut, Araghchi also met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri — a key Hezbollah ally.
During those meetings, the top Iranian diplomat stressed the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries and reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to providing economic, political, and social support through enhanced cooperation.
“I expressed my full support for Lebanon’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and reconstruction in light of Israel’s occupation,” Araghchi wrote in a post on X. “Our goal and hope is to open a new chapter in our centuries-old relationship, built on mutual respect and shared interests.”
سررتُ بالعودة إلى بيروت الجميلة. خلال اجتماعاتي مع الرئيس، ورئيس مجلس النواب، ورئيس الوزراء، ووزير الخارجية، أعربتُ عن دعمي الكامل لاستقلال لبنان وسيادته وسلامة أراضيه وإعادة إعماره في ظل الاحتلال الإسرائيلي.
هدفنا وآملنا هو فتح صفحة جديدة في علاقتنا الممتدة لقرون، والمبنية على… pic.twitter.com/Gnv2sQeNaA
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 4, 2025
For his part, Aoun emphasized the importance of dialogue in “resolving differences” and highlighted post-war reconstruction as a top priority for his government.
According to local media, Araghchi also said that Iranian companies are prepared to contribute to the country’s post-war reconstruction efforts.
Since Lebanon’s US-backed army commander took office earlier this year and a new cabinet with reduced influence for Hezbollah was established, the terrorist group has faced mounting calls for disarmament as the new government seeks to assert full control over the country’s territory.
In November, Lebanon and Israel reached a US-brokered ceasefire agreement that ended a year of fighting between the Jewish state and Hezbollah. Under the agreement, Israel was given 60 days to withdraw from Lebanon’s southern border, allowing the Lebanese army and UN forces to take over security as Hezbollah disarms and moves away from Israel’s northern border.
Although Jerusalem has withdrawn most of its ground forces since the war ended, Israeli officials have said it will retain control of five strategic positions in the south of the country until the Lebanese army demonstrates it can maintain security there.
Last fall, Israel decimated much of Hezbollah’s leadership and military capabilities with an air and ground offensive, which ended with the ceasefire.
Tens of thousands of residents in northern Israel were forced to evacuate their homes last year due to relentless attacks from Hezbollah, which expressed solidarity with Hamas amid the Gaza war.
Last month, the Lebanese government and the Palestinian Authority reached an agreement to disarm all 12 Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon. Both leaders pledged that Palestinian factions would refrain from using Lebanese territory as a launchpad for attacks against Israel and that all weapons would be placed under government control.
The post Iranian FM Meets Hezbollah Leader in Beirut as Tehran Tries to Ramp Up Support for Weakened Terror Proxy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Former MLB All-Star Accuses Ocasio-Cortez of ‘Virtue Signaling,’ Weak Reaction to Colorado Antisemitic Attack
Law enforcement officers work at the scene, after an attack that injured multiple people in Boulder, Colorado, US, June 1, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt
Former Major League Baseball player and World Series champion Kevin Youkilis lambasted US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on Tuesday for her reaction to the violent antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday night.
On Monday, Ocasio-Cortez wrote in a post on X she was “horrified” by the attack in which a dozen people were injured at an event organized to raise awareness for the hostages abducted from Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, and still held by the US-designated terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip. The firebombing took place on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.
“My heart is with the victims and our Jewish communities across the country,” the lawmaker wrote in her post on X. “Antisemitism is on the rise here at home, and we have a moral responsibility to confront and stop it everywhere it exists.”
Youkilis — a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, who formerly played for the Boston Red Sox — responded to Ocasio-Cortez’s post by accusing her of ignoring those who are calling for “intifadas” — a reference to periods of rampant Palestinian terrorism targeting Israelis — in her district and throughout New York City.
“Jews are targeted with violence and it’s the same virtue signal post time and time again,” he posted on X. “What have you done to confront those calling for intifadas in NYC? Until you create a plan of action, your repeated virtue signaling after the violence occurs holds no weight.”
In the comments section on his post, Youkilis said Ocasio-Cortez should “confront the radical mobs chanting for intifadas in NYC.” Youkilis added: “That would be brave leadership, but we know politicians, on both sides of the aisle, shy away in fear of losing votes and power.”
“Prove me wrong and show what she has done to combat antisemitism in her district?” he later said in response to one user on X who attempted to defend the lawmaker. “You have no response because there has been zero action.”
Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, has been charged by US authorities with throwing Molotov cocktails and using a flamethrower to target those who attended the pro-Israel event on Sunday night. Among those injured in the attack were two elderly people who were hospitalized with severe burns. Soliman, who lives in Colorado Springs, told investigators that he wanted to “kill all Zionist people,” according to court documents. He was charged with attempted murder, assault, and a federal hate crime. Federal authorities said Soliman was in the country illegally since he overstayed a tourist visa and an expired work permit.
Soliman’s wife and five children were taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials “for expedited removal,” the White House said in a post on X on Tuesday.
Youkilis was drafted by Boston in 2001 but made his major league debut in 2004, the year Boston won its first World Series in 86 years.
The post Former MLB All-Star Accuses Ocasio-Cortez of ‘Virtue Signaling,’ Weak Reaction to Colorado Antisemitic Attack first appeared on Algemeiner.com.