Israeli strike on hospital tent camp kills 4 and ignites a fire that burns dozens
Associated PressOct 12
NYT Defends Piece Alleging Israeli Forces Purposely Shot Children
Above: Palestinians sit at the site of an Israeli airstrike which hit tents for displaced people two days earlier in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on Oct. 16, 2024. Image copyright: Eyad Baba/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
The New York Times on Tuesday defended a piece it published last week alleging that there were multiple cases of Israeli forces in Gaza shooting children in their head or chest. The article, filed as an opinion piece, was based on the testimony of 65 US-based health professionals who had worked in Gaza over the past year.
Critics said the accounts were inaccurate or fabricated, but the Times claimed to have "rigorously edited this guest essay before publication" and worked to verify its claims. The outlet added that its editors had seen photos too graphic to publish corroborating the claims.
The Spin
Narrative A
The accusations against this rigorously scrutinized article are completely baseless. Everything that was included in the piece was verified multiple times, including by independent experts, and there are photos substantiating its claims that are simply too graphic to publish.
Narrative B
The validity of these CT scans must be questioned for several reasons. The lack of skull fragments, exit wounds, or change in the shape of the bullets is evidence that the CT scans were fabricated. Additionally, even if the scans are legitimate, there is no evidence that Israeli forces fired the bullet, as Hamas is known to kill civilians.