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Despite Admitting Past Errors Championing Hamas Propaganda, CNN Continues to Do So
What does it say about the integrity and ethics of a news network that knows what it’s doing is both dishonest and harmful, yet keeps doing it anyway?
That’s the question one must ask of CNN, especially in light of recent reporting by the network.
CNN’s Al-Ahli Hospital Coverage
The first article is a mea culpa written by the network’s Oliver Darcy and published on October 18, 2023 after the network botched coverage of the infamous incident at Al-Ahli Hospital.
After an explosion in the vicinity of the hospital, media outlets quickly accepted the Hamas claim that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) bombed the hospital and that some 500 Gazans were killed.
As it turned out, none of this was true. The rocket was actually fired by Palestinian terrorists, and killed far less people.
The media outlets had simply amplified Hamas’ propaganda without making any real effort to verify or caution viewers about the lack of credibility of the source. The false narrative given life by media outlets like CNN led to serious diplomatic consequences and riots spread to cities around the world.
Entitled “News outlets in fog of war amid dueling claims on Gaza hospital blast,” Darcy’s mea culpa acknowledged this to some extent. “Reports on serious matters involving civilian deaths carry enormous weight, often resulting in immediate consequences,” the reporter wrote.
“[I]t is of paramount importance for news organizations to remain in a heightened state of vigilance,” he continued, seemingly acknowledging that the network too easily accepted Hamas’s propaganda.
A School for the Displaced, or a School for Terrorism?
This brings us to two recent articles published this month.
One, titled “At least 90 Palestinians killed in Israeli school strike, Gaza officials say,” was authored by CNN’s Irene Nasser, Abeer Salman, Ibrahim Dahman, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Lex Harvey, and Allegra Goodwin.
As with the Al-Ahli Hospital incident, the journalists rushed to repeat the unverified, histrionic, but devoid of detail, claims of officials in the Hamas-run territory.
This time, the Hamas story was that the IDF bombed Al-Taba’een School in Gaza City, allegedly housing displaced Palestinians, killing “at least 90 people.” The article was quickly updated to include a quote from Fares Afana, director of ambulance and emergency in northern Gaza, stating that “All of these people who were targeted were civilians, unarmed children, the elderly, men and women.”
Once again, the network failed to warn its audience about the many reasons to treat these claims with great caution. And, just as with the Ahli Hospital incident, emerging information would end up casting serious doubt on key aspects of the Hamas claims.
Later that day, the IDF provided the names, affiliations, ranks, and pictures of 19 terrorists it said were killed in the strike.
The Israeli military also stated it used three “precision munitions” and provided video footage and imagery showing the scene of the strike, stating the munitions used “could not have caused the damage that corresponds to the casualty reports of the government media office in Gaza.”
This level of detail, provided early enough in the news cycle, gave substantial credibility to the IDF’s side of the story, as it would have enabled any journalist interested in finding the truth to dive deeper in search of evidence to support or contradict the claims.
And as time went on, even more details emerged supporting the IDF’s side of the story.
The military would subsequently state that there was “high probability” that a top Islamic Jihad commander, Ashraf Juda, was also killed in the strike on Al-Taba’een School. Two days later, the IDF would again follow up and provide the details of another 12 terrorists killed in the strike. That brought the total to 31 terrorists (with a high probability of 32 once Ashraf Juda’s death is confirmed) the IDF has specifically identified as having been killed in the strike.
That is, there is far more reason to believe that the story here is of a terrorist organization yet again engaging in human shielding by using schools for military purposes instead of the one advanced by CNN — that the IDF bombed a school serving purely as a shelter for the displaced.
And so, despite Darcy’s October 2023 mea culpa, the network is still failing, in August 2024, to “remain in a heightened state of vigilance.”
Once again, its journalists demonstrate a disturbing proclivity and enthusiasm for giving undeserved credence to the words of genocidal terrorists.
Sinwar the Peacenik?
So it is, also, with the third article, headlined “Hamas leader Sinwar wants a ceasefire deal, mediators say, but Netanyahu’s stance unclear,” authored by Jeremy Diamond.
Diamond weaves a narrative that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, wants a ceasefire deal whereas it is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that is preventing one.
“Nobody knows what Bibi wants,” the article tells us, but “Sinwar wants a ceasefire deal,” the headline proclaims.
Diamond purports to pass on the words of “Egyptian and Qatari mediators,” but any self-respecting journalist should know not to just blindly accept the words of officials who are far from disinterested. Moreover, Diamond preserves the narrative by omitting the piles of evidence that fly in the face of those claims.
Portraying Sinwar as ever the humanitarian seeking an end to the bloodshed, Diamond carefully keeps from his readers Sinwar’s history. The arch-terrorist is widely considered to be the architect of the October 7 atrocities, in which well over a thousand Israelis were murdered, raped, tortured, mutilated, and kidnapped. He is the man who openly bragged over text messages that civilian deaths in Gaza are “necessary sacrifices” and that “[w]e have the Israelis right where we want them.”
It is also widely known, including by CNN itself, that lower level Hamas commanders had been begging Sinwar for months to accept a ceasefire deal, to no avail.
And as with the first two articles, CNN’s narrative is blatantly false, and not just because of the long record of Hamas rejecting ceasefire deals that had Israeli and worldwide support.
Embarrassingly for Diamond, on the same day his apologia for Sinwar was published, Sinwar’s terrorist organization itself upended his entire story by rejecting the invitation of the US, Qatar, and Egypt to attend a final round of negotiations for a ceasefire deal. Netanyahu, notably, had agreed to send negotiators to the talks.
Once again, a CNN journalist finds himself having breathlessly advanced what was clearly false Hamas propaganda.
Consequences for Israel Can’t Be Walked Back
In Darcy’s October mea culpa, the reporter sought to excuse CNN’s failures by depicting them as a consequence of the “fog of war.” But the issue wasn’t that CNN couldn’t be expected to know the precise details; it’s that CNN journalists threw caution to the wind and took the word of terrorists. “Fog of war” means journalists should treat information coming out with great skepticism and carefulness, which is precisely the opposite of what the network did in that instance.
Yet even if we accept Darcy’s excuse, that was ten months ago; professionals should learn from their mistakes.
Instead, CNN reporters are once again negatively, and unjustifiably, affecting the course of events by repeating the exact same errors. The inaccurate coverage of the weekend strike led to numerous diplomatic condemnations of Israel for what increasingly looks like a completely legitimate strike on internationally designated terrorists who were themselves violating the laws of armed conflict. The public relations touch-up for Sinwar, the genocidal terrorist, means diplomatic and public pressure will be placed exactly where it isn’t needed instead of on Hamas, the party holding up a deal to release the Israeli hostages his organization took during its horrific attack last October.
After acknowledging the importance of remaining “in a heightened state of vigilance,” Darcy’s October article continued: “Failing to do so runs the risk of confusing and actively misinforming the public, with warring factions retreating even deeper into their respective corners, pointing fingers at one another, with civilians caught in the middle.”
Clearly, CNN understands that bad journalism not only does a disservice to its audience, but it also puts innocent civilians in danger. So, what are we to make of the fact that these reporters are knowingly repeating the same mistakes?
David M. Litman is a Research Analyst at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA).
The post Despite Admitting Past Errors Championing Hamas Propaganda, CNN Continues to Do So first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Says No Interim Hostage Deal Possible Without Work Toward Permanent Ceasefire
Explosions send smoke into the air in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, July 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen
The spokesperson for Hamas’s armed wing said on Friday that while the Palestinian terrorist group favors reaching an interim truce in the Gaza war, if such an agreement is not reached in current negotiations it could revert to insisting on a full package deal to end the conflict.
Hamas has previously offered to release all the hostages held in Gaza and conclude a permanent ceasefire agreement, and Israel has refused, Abu Ubaida added in a televised speech.
Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have hosted more than 10 days of talks on a US-backed proposal for a 60-day truce in the war.
Israeli officials were not immediately available for comment on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement on a call he had with Pope Leo on Friday that Israel‘s efforts to secure a hostage release deal and 60-day ceasefire “have so far not been reciprocated by Hamas.”
As part of the potential deal, 10 hostages held in Gaza would be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel would release a number of detained Palestinians.
“If the enemy remains obstinate and evades this round as it has done every time before, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals or the proposal of the 10 captives,” said Abu Ubaida.
Disputes remain over maps of Israeli army withdrawals, aid delivery mechanisms into Gaza, and guarantees that any eventual truce would lead to ending the war, said two Hamas officials who spoke to Reuters on Friday.
The officials said the talks have not reached a breakthrough on the issues under discussion.
Hamas says any agreement must lead to ending the war, while Netanyahu says the war will only end once Hamas is disarmed and its leaders expelled from Gaza.
Almost 1,650 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed as a result of the conflict, including 1,200 killed in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Over 250 hostages were kidnapped during Hamas’s Oct. 7 onslaught.
Israel responded with an ongoing military campaign aimed at freeing the hostages and dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities in neighboring Gaza.
The post Hamas Says No Interim Hostage Deal Possible Without Work Toward Permanent Ceasefire first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran Marks 31st Anniversary of AMIA Bombing by Slamming Argentina’s ‘Baseless’ Accusations, Blaming Israel
People hold images of the victims of the 1994 bombing attack on the Argentine Israeli Mutual Association (AMIA) community center, marking the 30th anniversary of the attack, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 18, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Irina Dambrauskas
Iran on Friday marked the 31st anniversary of the 1994 bombing of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) Jewish community center in Buenos Aires by slamming Argentina for what it called “baseless” accusations over Tehran’s alleged role in the terrorist attack and accusing Israel of politicizing the atrocity to influence the investigation and judicial process.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the anniversary of Argentina’s deadliest terrorist attack, which killed 85 people and wounded more than 300.
“While completely rejecting the accusations against Iranian citizens, the Islamic Republic of Iran condemns attempts by certain Argentine factions to pressure the judiciary into issuing baseless charges and politically motivated rulings,” the statement read.
“Reaffirming that the charges against its citizens are unfounded, the Islamic Republic of Iran insists on restoring their reputation and calls for an end to this staged legal proceeding,” it continued.
Last month, a federal judge in Argentina ordered the trial in absentia of 10 Iranian and Lebanese nationals suspected of orchestrating the attack in Buenos Aires.
The ten suspects set to stand trial include former Iranian and Lebanese ministers and diplomats, all of whom are subject to international arrest warrants issued by Argentina for their alleged roles in the terrorist attack.
In its statement on Friday, Iran also accused Israel of influencing the investigation to advance a political campaign against the Islamist regime in Tehran, claiming the case has been used to serve Israeli interests and hinder efforts to uncover the truth.
“From the outset, elements and entities linked to the Zionist regime [Israel] exploited this suspicious explosion, pushing the investigation down a false and misleading path, among whose consequences was to disrupt the long‑standing relations between the people of Iran and Argentina,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
“Clear, undeniable evidence now shows the Zionist regime and its affiliates exerting influence on the Argentine judiciary to frame Iranian nationals,” the statement continued.
In April, lead prosecutor Sebastián Basso — who took over the case after the 2015 murder of his predecessor, Alberto Nisman — requested that federal Judge Daniel Rafecas issue national and international arrest warrants for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over his alleged involvement in the attack.
Since 2006, Argentine authorities have sought the arrest of eight Iranians — including former president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died in 2017 — yet more than three decades after the deadly bombing, all suspects remain still at large.
In a post on X, the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations (DAIA), the country’s Jewish umbrella organization, released a statement commemorating the 31st anniversary of the bombing.
“It was a brutal attack on Argentina, its democracy, and its rule of law,” the group said. “At DAIA, we continue to demand truth and justice — because impunity is painful, and memory is a commitment to both the present and the future.”
31 años del atentado a la AMIA – DAIA. 31 años sin justicia.
El 18 de julio de 1994, un atentado terrorista dejó 85 personas muertas y más de 300 heridas. Fue un ataque brutal contra la Argentina, su democracia y su Estado de derecho.
Desde la DAIA, seguimos exigiendo verdad y… pic.twitter.com/kV2ReGNTIk
— DAIA (@DAIAArgentina) July 18, 2025
Despite Argentina’s longstanding belief that Lebanon’s Shiite Hezbollah terrorist group carried out the devastating attack at Iran’s request, the 1994 bombing has never been claimed or officially solved.
Meanwhile, Tehran has consistently denied any involvement and refused to arrest or extradite any suspects.
To this day, the decades-long investigation into the terrorist attack has been plagued by allegations of witness tampering, evidence manipulation, cover-ups, and annulled trials.
In 2006, former prosecutor Nisman formally charged Iran for orchestrating the attack and Hezbollah for carrying it out.
Nine years later, he accused former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner — currently under house arrest on corruption charges — of attempting to cover up the crime and block efforts to extradite the suspects behind the AMIA atrocity in return for Iranian oil.
Nisman was killed later that year, and to this day, both his case and murder remain unresolved and under ongoing investigation.
The alleged cover-up was reportedly formalized through the memorandum of understanding signed in 2013 between Kirchner’s government and Iranian authorities, with the stated goal of cooperating to investigate the AMIA bombing.
The post Iran Marks 31st Anniversary of AMIA Bombing by Slamming Argentina’s ‘Baseless’ Accusations, Blaming Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Jordan Reveals Muslim Brotherhood Operating Vast Illegal Funding Network Tied to Gaza Donations, Political Campaigns
Murad Adailah, the head of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, attends an interview with Reuters in Amman, Jordan, Sept. 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Jehad Shelbak
The Muslim Brotherhood, one of the Arab world’s oldest and most influential Islamist movements, has been implicated in a wide-ranging network of illegal financial activities in Jordan and abroad, according to a new investigative report.
Investigations conducted by Jordanian authorities — along with evidence gathered from seized materials — revealed that the Muslim Brotherhood raised tens of millions of Jordanian dinars through various illegal activities, the Jordan news agency (Petra) reported this week.
With operations intensifying over the past eight years, the report showed that the group’s complex financial network was funded through various sources, including illegal donations, profits from investments in Jordan and abroad, and monthly fees paid by members inside and outside the country.
The report also indicated that the Muslim Brotherhood has taken advantage of the war in Gaza to raise donations illegally.
Out of all donations meant for Gaza, the group provided no information on where the funds came from, how much was collected, or how they were distributed, and failed to work with any international or relief organizations to manage the transfers properly.
Rather, the investigations revealed that the Islamist network used illicit financial mechanisms to transfer funds abroad.
According to Jordanian authorities, the group gathered more than JD 30 million (around $42 million) over recent years.
With funds transferred to several Arab, regional, and foreign countries, part of the money was allegedly used to finance domestic political campaigns in 2024, as well as illegal activities and cells.
In April, Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most vocal opposition group, and confiscated its assets after members of the Islamist movement were found to be linked to a sabotage plot.
The movement’s political arm in Jordan, the Islamic Action Front, became the largest political grouping in parliament after elections last September, although most seats are still held by supporters of the government.
Opponents of the group, which is banned in most Arab countries, label it a terrorist organization. However, the movement claims it renounced violence decades ago and now promotes its Islamist agenda through peaceful means.
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