This is what is known in the media industry as a ‘reverse ferret’ and very much sums up a day of shame for Britain’s media establishment as Hamas lies appear to have once again ruled the airwaves. Let’s take a look at what’s happened. 👇🏼🧵
In the early hours - around 5.30am local time - it was announced that the Red Cross Hospital had received a ‘mass casualty influx’ of 179 wounded people with gunshot and shrapnel wounds. The Red Cross’s statement said simply they had been ‘trying to reach an aid distribution site’.
By mid morning a British doctor working for Medical Aid for Palestine called Victoria Rose said it had happened at the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Centre. Quickly local reporters said Israel had fired on people near the site with tanks. And that was picked up by the International media.
Trusted brands such as the BBC were quick to run with headlines like this before the IDF had had a chance to even respond to the queries:
When an Israeli minister @SharrenHaskel was asked about it on Sky she admitted she was waiting to find out what had happened but the IDF was denying it had happened - that didn’t stop her being attacked.
Quite quickly the aid centre showed that at the time of the alleged attack, there were no guns being fired.
In fact, worst of all it appears that Palestinian gunmen - who may be Hamas terrorists - fired on Palestinians who were trying to get to the aid distribution centre:
Look at way the BBC kept changing its story; goes from "say medics" to "health ministry says" to "Hamas-run health authorities" - as one journalist friend describes it: ‘a masterclass in BBC trying to cover its arse by stealth.’ https://www.newssniffer.co.uk/...
But, of course, by now the damage is done and the politicians are picking up on the story….
What we do know: Hamas does not want these new aid centres to work because it means they can no longer profit from humanitarian aid. We know that last week they set up fake Facebook pages to confuse hungry Gazans. Now it appears they want to frighten Gazans from accessing that aid - by shooting and killing them - and blaming Israel as they do it. Now we see how once again, too many of my journalist colleagues too easily fall for Hamas propaganda. And we see how Hamas rules Gaza - by the gun, abetted by their friends in the West.