On June 17th the BBC News website published a report by Sebastian Usher and Rushdi Abualouf titled “Israeli forces kill 51 Palestinians waiting for flour at Gaza aid site, witnesses and rescuers say”.
While the circumstances of that alleged incident are still unclear, it is notable that the source of the number of casualties promoted in the BBC’s headline and the report itself is an organisation run by the Hamas ministry of the interior. [emphasis added]
“Israeli forces have killed more than 51 Palestinians and wounded many more after opening fire near an aid distribution site in southern Gaza, witnesses and rescuers say.
The Hamas-run civil defence agency said Israeli troops fired on crowds near the aid site in Khan Younis. More than 200 people were reportedly injured.”
Moreover, Usher and Abualouf chose to uncritically promote a second-hand quote from that organisation’s spokesman, despite his having been exposed as a Hamas operative just nine days earlier:
“Gaza’s civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that at least 50 people were killed. “Israeli drones fired at the citizens. Some minutes later, Israeli tanks fired several shells at the citizens, which led to a large number of martyrs and wounded,” he said.”
The BBC’s report noted from the beginning that the alleged incident involved a truck belonging to the UN’s World Food Programme:
“Witnesses say that Israeli forces opened fire and shelled an area near a junction to the east of Khan Younis, where thousands of Palestinians had been gathering in the hope of getting flour from a World Food Programme (WFP) site, which also includes a community kitchen nearby.” […]
“In a statement the IDF said “a gathering was identified adjacent to an aid distribution truck that got stuck in the area of Khan Younis, and in proximity to IDF troops operating in the area.”
It said it was “aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals from IDF fire following the crowd’s approach” and the incident was under review.”
However, while that is the sole mention of the WFP in the entire article, additions made some three hours after its initial publication include no fewer than five references to a different organisation which has no connection to the incident this report supposedly addresses:
“In recent days, the [Nasser] hospital has been dealing with an almost daily influx of casualties from shooting incidents near the aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – backed by Israel and the US – in southern and central Gaza.” […]
“The GHF has also responded to the shootings by saying that they should not be mentioned in connection to their operations, as the incidents are happening away from their sites.
But there is no doubt that thousands of Palestinians would not be gathered in desperate search for limited supplies of food in those areas if it were not for the way that the new distribution system has been set up.” […]
“Verified video from GHF sites show huge crowds of Palestinians rushing to try to get food parcels with no apparent control from the organisation. It has already closed its sites briefly on at least two occasions to try to improve security.” […]
“Critics see the GHF as enabling a plan by the Israeli government to displace Palestinians south into smaller areas of Gaza.” […]
“Yet there seems to be no plan from Israel, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation or the international community to find a way to prevent the near daily killing of Palestinians, as they take their lives in their hands to seek a meagre supply of food.”
That focusing of reader attentions on the GHF comes as no surprise given the BBC’s chosen – and UN compliant – framing of that organisation since its establishment:
HOW BBC FRAMING OF THE GHF TOES THE UN LINE
No less interesting are the report’s mentions of the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis:
“Nasser Hospital, the main functioning medical facility in the area, has been overwhelmed by the number of casualties. It is so overcrowded that the many wounded are lying on the floor as medical staff treat their injuries.” […]
“For weeks, medical staff have warned that Nasser Hospital could be overwhelmed and unable to continue to operate under the pressure of multiple casualties, lack of medical supplies and Israeli evacuation orders in the surrounding area.
In recent days, the hospital has been dealing with an almost daily influx of casualties from shooting incidents near the aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) – backed by Israel and the US – in southern and central Gaza.”
Notably, Usher and Abualouf chose to exclude from their article any mention of the fatal Hamas attack on GHF workers – reported by the BBC just days earlier – and the reports that wounded staffers taken to Nasser hospital were not given treatment due to Hamas threats against staff.
Also notable is Usher and Abualouf’s downplaying of Hamas attacks on aid distribution points:
“In almost all those incidents, witnesses have said that Israeli troops opened fire, although there have also been reports of local armed gunmen shooting at people.”
Interestingly, not only do the two BBC correspondents have nothing to tell their readers about the threats made by Hamas and its allies against both the GHF itself and civilians using its services, but they even go on to promote part of a Hamas talking point, while failing to inform readers that it is a quote from a Hamas Telegram message authorising attacks on the GHF:
“Hamas has responded to the latest incident by again describing the aid centres as death traps.
Looting among a population desperate for scarce supplies of food – with criminal gangs, militias and Hamas also operating for their own ends – has rendered the situation even more perilous.”
Readers are given no background information concerning Hamas’ theft of humanitarian aid but they do find the BBC’s usual ‘explanation’ of its uncritical promotion of claims sourced from Hamas that it has not verified or investigated before amplifying worldwide:
“Israel does not allow international news organisations including the BBC into Gaza, making verifying what is happening there difficult.”
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