Those who are keeping up with news out of the Israel-Hamas war are seeing a number of conflicting reports. Following an explosion at a hospital in Gaza, reports containing contradictory claims and details have been released to the public, creating confusion regarding credible reporting.
With the amount of serious and consequential events happening in the world, the public is relying on the media for information. However, that information is being portrayed differently depending on the news source.
Outlets are reporting different information on which side is to blame, the number of casualties and the validity of hostage videos that are coming out of Gaza.
As people scrambled for answers after the Gaza hospital explosion, the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry claimed that Israel struck the hospital, killing hundreds. Israel quickly responded, claiming it was a misfired rocket that was launched by the Islamic jihad.
As time passed, more information and video evidence has come to light. U.S. intelligence has since determined that the damage was not from an Israeli airstrike.
The information that was available was conflicting, and so was the media’s response. For example, the New York Times updated its headline three times, citing “Palestinians.”
The first Times headline called the explosion an “Israeli airstrike.” After Israel denied involvement, the headline changed to “At least 500 dead in strike on Gaza hospital.”
The third update changed to say a “blast at” the hospital, rather than the previous “strike on.”
The confusion doesn’t stop at who caused it, it also extends to where it happened.
Initial reports said that the hospital was struck, however, photos, video and satellite imagery show that the blast happened in a courtyard that is part of the hospital site, not in the hospital building itself.
U.S. intelligence agencies said Friday, Oct. 20, that the hospital suffered “light damage.”
An annotated photo from BBC News shows broken windows of standing buildings, a small crater, burned cars and nearby roof damage, all concentrated in the parking lot.
The number of casualties has also not been verified.
Hamas claimed that there were 500 casualties, but then said 471. Since Hamas was the first group to put a number to the tragedy, many media outlets reported it.
Now, U.S. officials say the number of people killed is likely closer to 100, and European officials have placed the number in the dozens. If that is true, the number would be one-tenth of what Palestinian officials said.
Days after the attack, the information and tone of the media’s reporting changed as more people criticized and reflected on the initial coverage.
Reports from the night that the news broke have contradicting information on how many were killed, where the hospital was and who was behind the explosion.
Here’s a look at how different outlets reported the story on the night that the news broke.
MSNBC:
“The Palestinian Health Ministry is saying a hospital in Gaza City in Northern Gaza has taken a direct hit from an Israeli airstrike. They are saying hundreds, at minimum 300, have been killed in this strike.”
ABC:
“Tonight the death toll rising in the devastating strike on a hospital in Gaza City. Palestinian officials saying at least 500 killed in what they claim was an Israeli airstrike.”
PBS:
“Welcome to the NewsHour. It is a horrific night in Gaza where an airstrike hit a hospital, killing hundreds, who hit the hospital is in dispute.”
NBC
“There appears to be several victims being rushed to other hospitals, but if this were to be true, this would be one of the biggest retaliation strikes possibly by the Israelis since that Hamas terrorist attack, and when you’re talking about 500 people you have to wonder how many of those people are innocent civilians if this indeed is the case.”
The response by some of the largest news organizations in the U.S. is receiving sharp criticism from some lawmakers.
“Here’s what I know, what I know is we saw a disgusting display of anti-Israel, anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism from the international media around the world.” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said. “They immediately took Hamas’s word for it — Hamas, a terrorist organization — who said something and ran with it.
“This shows how dangerous it is to be listening to a terrorist organization when they put numbers, when they put out facts and figures and they put out statements and it’s a lesson for the media and elected officials that this is an active war zone and we have to be careful before we take stuff and weaponize it.”
Israel has not begun its ground operation into Gaza yet. Hamas is holding hundreds hostage, and new developments are coming in consistently.