On June 27th BBC Middle East correspondent Hugo Bachega put out the following social media post:
The article promoted by Bachega is the English language version of a report published on June 27th by Ha’aretz in Hebrew: a language which, insofar as we are aware, the BBC’s Middle East correspondent does not speak or read fluently.
The English language version of that Ha’aretz report – which is based entirely on anonymous sources – was addressed by Andrew Fox, who was also quoted in an Algemeiner article on the topic.
CAMERA’s Tamar Sternthal analysed several significant discrepancies between the original Hebrew language report and the translation to English – for example the mistranslation of the Hebrew word “yechida” (יחידה) as “only” instead of (military) “unit”.
“Furthermore, the Hebrew subheadline makes clear that the officers and soldiers alleged that they received orders to shoot towards (“לעבר”) Gazans (as opposed to “at,” as stated in the English) in order to disperse them (“כדי להרחיקם”). The subheadline in English makes no mention of the intention to disperse the crowds, reinforcing the disputed and shocking notion of a “killing field,” in which soldiers are blindly opening fire with the intention to kill.”
‘HAARETZ, LOST IN TRANSLATION,’ GAZA ‘KILLING FIELD’ EDITION
Later on the day that the Ha’aretz reports appeared – June 27th – the IDF put out a statement.
“We strongly reject 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. […]
In light of recent reports of incidents of harm to the civilians approaching the distribution centers, the incidents are being examined by the relevant IDF authorities. Any allegation of a deviation from the law or IDF directives will be thoroughly examined, and further action will be taken as necessary. The allegations of deliberate fire toward civilians presented in the article are not recognized in the field.”
On June 30th the BBC News website published a report by a journalist currently visiting Israel – Ione Wells – titled “Israeli military investigates ‘reports of harm to civilians’ after hundreds killed near Gaza aid sites” – which includes the following: [emphasis added]
“However it [the IDF] denied any allegations of deliberate fire at civilians, such as those raised in a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Friday.
That report quoted unnamed IDF soldiers who said they were ordered to shoot at unarmed civilians near aid distribution sites, to drive them away or disperse them.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly rejected the report, calling the allegations “malicious falsehoods”.”
On July 1st the BBC News website published a report by Sydney based Helen Sullivan titled “US-Israeli backed Gaza aid group must be shut down, say 170 charities” which links to Wells’ report, telling readers that:
“The Israeli military has said it is examining reports of civilians being “harmed” while approaching GHF aid distribution centres.
According to a report by Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Friday, unnamed Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers said they were ordered to shoot at unarmed civilians near aid distribution sites to drive them away or disperse them.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly rejected the report, calling the allegations “malicious falsehoods”.
The Israeli military also denied allegations of deliberately firing at Palestinians waiting to collect humanitarian aid. […]
The GHF said in response to the Haaretz story that “there have been no incidents or fatalities at or in the immediate vicinity of any of our distribution sites”.”
As we see, Hugo Bachega’s social media post referred to “more than 400 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid in Gaza since this Israeli-backed mechanism came into force last month”. That unconfirmed figure – together with the unverified claim that they were all “killed by Israeli forces” – of course comes from Hamas sources: a fact which clearly does not disturb this member of the BBC’s Middle East bureau.
Similarly, Wells told her readers that:
“Since GHF operations began in late May, following a three-month Israeli blockade on Gaza, there have been almost daily reports from medics, eyewitnesses and the Hamas-run health ministry of Israeli fire killing people seeking aid at these sites.
The UN says more than 400 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.”
Wells did not however bother to clarify that the UN official who made that claim stated “I’ve been told over 400 have been killed” – or that his source is of course Hamas controlled bodies. Moreover, Wells misled readers with a reference to an alleged incident on June 1st which did not happen.
“Within days of GHF operations starting in late May, dozens of Palestinians were killed in separate incidents on 1 and 3 June, sparking international condemnation.”
Sullivan managed to find an even more unreliable source for her presentation of casualties in the Gaza Strip:
“More than 170 charities and other NGOs are calling for the controversial aid distribution scheme in Gaza run by the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to be shut down.
More than 500 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid since the GHF started operating in late May, when Israel partially eased an 11-week total blockade, a joint statement says.
The organisations, including Oxfam and Save the Children, say Israeli forces and armed groups “routinely” open fire on Palestinians seeking aid.”
She later told readers that:
“Since the GHF started operating in Gaza, there have been almost daily reports of Israeli forces killing people seeking aid at these sites, from medics, eyewitnesses and the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
On Tuesday, the ministry reported that a total of 583 people had been killed while seeking aid since 26 May, including 408 near the GHF’s distribution centres.”
As we see, these BBC reporters are perfectly happy to uncritically quote and promote entirely unverified figures provided by a terrorist organisation with a vested interest in the failure of the GHF aid distribution scheme, along with the claim that all deaths at its aid distribution sites are attributable to Israeli forces. The same BBC staffers are also at ease with promoting a highly problematic translation of a newspaper article that is based entirely on anonymous sources making unverified claims of deliberate targeting, despite their having not read the article in its original form.
Those low journalistic standards will however come as no surprise to anyone who has been following the BBC’s chosen framing of this story since its outset.
Related Articles:
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