Cross-posted from Eric Lee
Three hours after the end of the 72-hour ceasefire, Israel finally retaliated with air strikes. Hamas missiles were fired at a range of different target’s in southern parts of Israel.
The BBC headline at the moment reads:
Gaza rockets fired as ceasefire ends
Palestinian militant group Hamas rejects any extension of the three-day Gaza ceasefire, with rockets fired at Israel as the truce ends.
That seems a fair statement of things. But here’s what the Guardian leads with:
Israel orders response to rockets fired from Gaza
A rocket trail over the northern Gaza Strip after the expiration of the 72-hour ceasefire with Israel.
LIVE Israel claims at least 10 rockets were fired by Hamas after temporary truce expired on Friday morning
LATEST
“The Israel Defence Force has confirmed it has renewed strikes on Gaza:”
Gaza ceasefire ends
Now, Hamas has been threatening to break the ceasefire since it began on Tuesday, so it’s hardly a surprise.
From the BBC account, you’d learn that Hamas is responsible for the renewal of violence.
But from the Guardian, you’d think that the Gaza ceasefire ended because the IDF renewed strikes.
Though it does says that “Israel claims at least 10 rockets were fired”.
The use of the word “claims” in this context is deliberate; while the IDF’s decision to bomb Gaza is taken as a fact, the rocket attacks on Israel (which at least the BBC thinks are real) are cited as “Israeli claims”.
It’s this kind of totally unfair, biased and inaccurate reporting that it helping to whip up anti-Israel (and anti-Jewish) hysteria to new levels in Britain — something which, ironically, is the subject of a top Guardian news story today.
Gene adds: Do you think the fact that Israel was prepared to extend the ceasefire, and that Hamas wasn’t, will have any effect on plans for another Blame Israel demonstration Saturday in London?
Me neither.
Does anyone need more evidence that stopping an actual war is the least of “Stop the War’s” concerns?
