The media’s blind acceptance of Hamas claims: the misreporting of Gaza casualties

The recent release of mortality statistics from Hamas-controlled health authorities in Gaza has brought to light significant discrepancies in casualty reporting, particularly concerning the demographics of the deceased.

A substantial proportion of the reported deaths are males aged 13 to 55, a demographic closely aligned with that of combatants. This revelation raises critical questions about the accuracy of casualty figures and the role of Western media in disseminating this information., under Hamas’s control, has inflated civilian casualty figures by misclassifying combatant deaths and including non-conflict-related fatalities. Despite these inconsistencies, international media outlets have largely relied on these figures without sufficient scrutiny. The study found that 97% of publications cited only Hamas sources, with a mere 3% referencing data from both Hamas and Israeli authorities. This uncritical acceptance has contributed to a narrative that portrays Israel as disproportionately targeting civilians.

Further analysis reveals that the media often fails to mention combatant casualties, leading to a skewed perception of the conflict. For instance, only 3% of outlets cited specific figures for militants, and just 15% noted that the Gaza Ministry of Health does not differentiate between militants and civilians in its reports. This omission fosters a misleading narrative that Israeli actions primarily result in civilian deaths.

Recent analyses by Salo Aizenberg (Aizenberg55 on X), a board member at HonestReporting, have provided a detailed breakdown of Gaza fatality statistics, shedding light on the composition of the reported casualties. According to Aizenberg’s findings, based on data released by Hamas-controlled health authorities, a significant portion of the fatalities are males aged 13 to 55, a demographic closely aligned with that of combatants. Specifically, 72% of fatalities within this age group are men, and there is confirmation of teenage soldiers among the deceased.

Additionally, Aizenberg has noted that 3,400 previously “identified” deaths listed in earlier Hamas reports have now been dropped, raising further concerns about the credibility and accuracy of Hamas casualty figures.

Furthermore, his analysis indicates that among the reported deaths, an estimated 10,000 individuals are likely to have died from natural causes or unrelated incidents, further distorting the actual toll of the conflict.

Aizenberg also highlights that the Gaza Ministry of Health has included births and infant mortality figures within its overall casualty count, further inflating the reported death toll. Additionally, his analysis provides a demographic breakdown of women and children killed, revealing that approximately 40% of reported child casualties are teenage males, a group often recruited as combatants by Hamas. These findings corroborate previous observations regarding the demographic distribution of casualties and further underscore the need for critical evaluation of casualty reports emanating from Hamas-controlled sources.

IDF’s Measures to Minimize Civilian Casualties

Contrary to the widespread portrayal of indiscriminate attacks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) implement extensive measures to minimize civilian casualties:

1. Precision Strikes: The IDF utilizes advanced intelligence-gathering methods, including drone surveillance and human intelligence, to ensure strikes target combatants and military infrastructure.
2. Roof Knocking: Before carrying out airstrikes on identified Hamas targets, the IDF often deploys non-lethal warning strikes (roof-knocking) to urge civilians to evacuate.
3. Evacuation Warnings: The IDF provides warnings via phone calls, text messages, and leaflet drops, urging civilians to leave areas that are about to be targeted.
4. Target Selection: IDF operations prioritize eliminating Hamas leadership, weapons depots, and tunnel networks while avoiding unnecessary harm to civilians.
5. Restraint in High-Casualty Situations: In some cases, the IDF has aborted missions upon detecting the presence of large numbers of civilians near a target.

Hamas Tactics That Increase Civilian Casualties

While the IDF implements measures to reduce civilian harm, Hamas employs strategies designed to maximize civilian casualties to manipulate global opinion. As Ismail Haniyeh stated in an interview on October 27, 2023:

Hamas achieves this by:

1. Human Shields: Hamas frequently positions military infrastructure, including weapons caches and command centers, in or near hospitals, schools, and residential areas.
2. Forcing Civilians to Stay: Reports indicate that Hamas has actively prevented civilians from evacuating combat zones, even executing those who attempt to flee.
3. Firing from Civilian Areas: Rockets are routinely launched from densely populated areas, ensuring that retaliatory strikes will result in collateral damage.
4. Manipulating Casualty Reports: Hamas-controlled health authorities obscure the distinction between combatants and civilians, inflating the civilian death toll for propaganda purposes.
5. Hospitals, Schools and Mosques as Cover: Hamas has used medical facilities, educational facilities and places of worship as military strongholds, making it difficult for the IDF to neutralize threats without hitting civilian infrastructure.

Conclusion and Call to Action

The media’s uncritical acceptance of casualty figures provided by Hamas-controlled entities has significant implications for public perception and policy-making. It is imperative for journalists and news organizations to approach such data with skepticism, cross-verify with multiple sources, and clearly distinguish between civilian and combatant casualties. Additionally, the IDF’s extensive efforts to mitigate civilian harm stand in stark contrast to Hamas’s tactics, which deliberately increase civilian suffering to advance their narrative.

The international community must hold Hamas accountable for its use of human shields and intentional endangerment of civilians. Governments, NGOs, and media organizations must demand transparency in casualty reporting and challenge the dissemination of propaganda. Furthermore, the media has a responsibility to uphold journalistic integrity by verifying sources and reporting the conflict with accuracy and balance. Only through rigorous and responsible journalism can the true nature of the conflict be understood, paving the way for informed discourse and resolution efforts.

Ultimately, all of this suffering and destruction could be avoided if Hamas were to release the hostages it has taken and withdraw from Gaza. Hamas’s continued presence in Gaza, coupled with its refusal to abandon terrorism, is the primary driver of the current war. By holding innocent civilians hostage, using its own people as human shields, and rejecting peace efforts, Hamas ensures a perpetual cycle of violence. If Hamas were to release all of the hostages, disarm and leave Gaza, there would be no reason for any Israeli military operations. The responsibility to end this crisis lies squarely with Hamas, and it is imperative that the global community demands the unconditional surrender and removal of Hamas from Gaza in order to pave the way for lasting peace.

IINZ