An article in the Independent on the recent counter-terrorism operation in Jenin (“Thousands flee Israel’s biggest West Bank military operation in decades”, July 5), written by their Middle East correspondent Bel Trew, included the following:
Medicins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Broders) accused the army of firing tear gas into a hospital, filling the emergency room with smoke and forcing emergency patients to be treated in a main hall.
However as the NY Times reported on same day, regarding the accusation by Doctors Without Borders, “The Israelis denied any attacks near hospitals.” Similarly, Reuters included the IDF’s denial to the charge by Doctors Without Borders in their article on the operation, noting that “The Israeli military said it had no knowledge of its forces firing in the vicinity of a hospital but that it did carry out an air-strike at gunmen that had taken up positions in a cemetery and posed a threat to the withdrawing troops”.
We complained to Indy editors asking that they amend the article to acknowledge the IDF’s response, and they agreed – adding the following language from Reuters:
The Israeli military countered this, saying said it had no knowledge of its forces firing in the vicinity of a hospital.
Additionally, Indy editors upheld another one of our complaints, pertaining to a July 5 editorial we posted about here, which included the claim that the 2nd Intifada’s ended in 2002. The text was changed to reflect the fact that it ended two to three years later, and the following addendum added:
