A June 29 article in the Independent written by Namita Singh – a journalist the outlet’s Asia bureau – included the following:
Israeli soldiers told local newspaper Haaretz that the army deliberately fired at unarmed Palestinians waiting for aid. The Israeli military claimed it was investigating the report while the GHF called for a full inquiry.
However, the IDF didn’t just say it would be investigating the accusations, reported by Haaretz, by some anonymous Israeli soldiers, but emphatically denied the charges. In fact, the Haaretz article the Indy refers to included this statement from the military:
The Israeli army issued an additional response following publication of this exposé, saying it “strongly rejects the accusation raised in the article – the IDF did not instruct the forces to deliberately shoot at civilians, including those approaching the distribution centers. To be clear, IDF directives prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians…The allegations of deliberate fire toward civilians presented in the article are not recognized in the field.”
We contacted the Indy, who upheld our complaint, adding the following to the article:
The Israeli military said it “strongly reject[s] the accusation raised in the article” based on soldiers’ testimonies, adding that “IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) directives prohibit deliberate attacks on civilians”.
Related Posts
‘Haaretz, Lost in Translation,’ Gaza ‘Killing Field’ Edition
