RSS
Media Says ‘IDF Targets Kids,’ But Ignores Realities of Fighting Hamas
Palestinian terrorists and members of the Red Cross gather near vehicles on the day Hamas hands over deceased hostages Oded Lifschitz, Shiri Bibas, and her two children Kfir and Ariel Bibas, seized during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack, to the Red Cross, as part of a ceasefire and hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, “the IDF is targeting children” has been a media narrative — or rather, a Hamas narrative.
The New York Times’ exposé “65 Doctors, Nurses and Paramedics: What We Saw in Gaza” and the BBC’s investigative report “Two girls shot in Gaza…” are just a couple of the grotesque displays of bias. Evidence of Hamas’ responsibility is often doubted or dismissed, while in a narrative such as the BBC’s case, the blame is placed solely on Israel and its “lack of accountability.”
Basics of Guerrilla-Style Urban Warfare in Gaza
Urban guerrilla warfare differs significantly from conventional urban warfare. Bill Roggio, Senior Fellow and Editor of Foundation for Defense of Democracy’s (FDD) Long War Journal, told HonestReporting that Israel’s real challenge with Hamas “is [that they’re] fighting out of uniform, and they’re fighting from places like mosques, schools, and hospitals.” He says that while civilian casualties are always unavoidable in war, enemies like Hamas hiding and operating among them make it “far more complicated.”
In guerrilla warfare, the rules of engagement, or how soldiers are meant to act on suspicious activity, can become murky. With challenges that militaries like the IDF encounter on the battlefield while maneuvering or stationing in Gaza, reports of civilians and even children being injured or killed have flooded the media and heavily influenced the global understanding of the conflict. The problem? Average consumers don’t understand realities on the ground.
Roggio discusses the breakdown of rules of engagement in the chaos of a guerrilla-style environment:
You can’t shoot someone just because they’re on a rooftop with a radio…. But then [you] started finding out that kid was a spotter or a lookout, or they’re being used to run ammunition during firefights, or women were being used in the same way, or even as suicide bombers in cases. So restrictive rules of engagement, once the enemy is aware, they take advantage of this.
Not to mention, military-aged males aged 16 through 20 are still considered children, he reminds us. The media report on children being shot, but Hamas doesn’t distinguish between terrorists and civilians in its death toll. This only serves to bolster terrorist propaganda further.
The press, international community, and NGOs often misunderstand the realities of warfare, says Roggio. His war reporting and military experience give him the insight to assess it. He uses the 2004 U.S. drone strikes on Al-Qaeda in Pakistan, where the terrorist to civilian ratio was calculated to 1:1 or 2:1, as another example.
The US receives so much criticism for this, but it’s a misunderstanding of war…sometimes I think it’s an intentional misunderstanding, or I guess that wouldn’t be a misunderstanding. It’s an intentional ignorance.
Then, they treat figures and statements from terror groups, or in Hamas’ case, “ministries”, with credibility. Herein lies one of the biggest issues: buying propaganda and leaving out important context that misleads the audience.
1/@BBCNews aired a slick doc blaming Israel for the deaths of 2 Gazan girls. But reporter @stephhegarty left one thing out: Hamas. No mention of child soldiers, human shields, or hostages in hospitals.
When facts don’t fit the narrative, she cuts them.
pic.twitter.com/DRIGn8pVn2
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) August 6, 2025
The BBC’s population correspondent, Stephanie Hegarty, took it upon herself to step out of her regular scheduled programming to “investigate” two killings of little Gazan girls in November 2023 – the early days of the war.
Hegarty concluded that, based on geolocation estimates by the BBC, the IDF could have been responsible for the tragic deaths of Layan al-Majdalawi and Mira Tanboura. The logic is that where there is IDF presence, Gazans are killed. Therefore, the IDF must have killed them.
But the IDF is hunting down Hamas terrorists, not young girls. Hegarty doesn’t acknowledge the possibility that Hamas were there too, and in a guerrilla urban war zone. There’s no mention of the possibility that they were caught in crossfire, killed by Hamas, or suspected to be a threat by the IDF.
Though identifying Hamas isn’t always obvious, this doesn’t serve Hegarty’s narrative, so she ignores it.
2/
Hegarty features a British doctor at Nasser Hospital – someone who has denied Hamas was ever there. She doesn’t mention that Hamas official Ismail Barhoum was killed at Nasser. Or that hostages say Hamas held them in Gaza hospitals. That’s not an oversight. It’s a cover-up. pic.twitter.com/YaOLNATDbq— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) August 6, 2025
And naturally, a concerted effort to expose the IDF as a vile, genocidal military is initiated. All context goes out the window. Just the IDF’s supposed “lack of accountability” remains.
4/
The reservist she interviews explains IDF rules of engagement – but Hegarty frames it as though Israel systematically targets kids. She skips over the chaos of urban warfare, and how impossible it is to ID combatants when Hamas wears no uniform. pic.twitter.com/CMnMVuyiDk— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) August 6, 2025
“K,” an anonymous IDF reservist, gives Hegarty the soundbite she wants, so she doesn’t bother exploring the context behind K’s “F***k it. Destroy everything” statement on IDF commanders’ orders for rules of engagement.
Although the war in Gaza is complicated, it’s easy to provide viewers with a fuller picture.
Same Narrative, Different Scenario
The same goes for Palestinians killed seeking humanitarian aid. The Washington Post’s article, “Doctors detail the daily deluge of Gazans shot while seeking food,” presents doctors’ accounts of mass casualty events in Gaza hospitals. The writers work to imply that shootings are systematic and only mention IDF troops’ presence, and their admission to firing warning shots.
No mention of Hamas, even though there is plenty of video evidence of Hamas stealing from aid convoys, and accounts of Hamas and other gangs beating or shooting Palestinians trying to get aid. But there was also no context to the IDF firing at or around those who pass their “military positions.”
Witnesses say Israeli troops have frequently shot at people who pass near military positions while approaching aid sites or who throng relief convoys.
There are clear instructions on pathways and times for aid seekers. It’s fair to assume that anyone stepping out of that zone, especially in Gaza’s environment, could be considered suspicious by the IDF and its soldiers who are having to constantly be aware of the possibility of an attack on their positions at any moment. An unfortunate reality created by the terrorists who continue to operate among the civilian population.
The Washington Post includes the issue of child casualties:
The trek to GHF distribution points is frequently long and arduous, so Palestinian families often send their most able — usually teenage boys and young men. But with tens of thousands of Palestinians having been killed and maimed during Israel’s military operations in Gaza, not every family has that choice. The Red Cross says its doctors have treated women and toddlers for gunshot wounds, too.
Again, urban war zones are chaotic. It’s not always clear what is happening. But medical workers can only explain the injuries and describe the patients they have treated.
Nonetheless, that’s precisely the reason why the media need to lay all the information out on the table, instead of presenting a pre-framed story that leads media consumers to adopt whatever agenda the journalist promotes.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
RSS
Antisemites Target Synagogues in Spain, France Amid Surge in Jew Hatred Across Europe
The exterior wall of a synagogue in Girona, Spain, vandalized with antisemitic graffiti. Photo: Screenshot
Pro-Palestinian activists have vandalized synagogues in Spain and France in recent days, sparking public outrage and calls for authorities to step up protections.
These are only the latest incidents in a troubling wave of anti-Jewish hate crimes targeting Jewish communities across Europe which continues unabated.
On Thursday, the Jewish community of Girona, a city in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, filed a police complaint and urged authorities to take action after the outer wall of the city’s synagogue was defaced with an antisemitic slogan.
Unknown perpetrators defaced the synagogue’s walls with antisemitic graffiti, scrawling messages such as “Israel is a genocidal state, silence = complicity.”
The city’s Jewish community strongly condemned the incident, urging authorities to conduct a swift investigation, impose exemplary sanctions, and ensure robust security measures.
“Disguised as political activism, [this attack] seeks to stigmatize citizens for their faith — something intolerable in a democratic society,” the statement reads. “Tolerance and respect are values we must defend together.”
The European Jewish Association (EJA) also condemned the incident as a hate crime, urging the Spanish government to ensure the safety and protection of its Jewish citizens.
“This is yet another antisemitic attack, part of a wave we’ve seen daily for nearly two years,” the EJA wrote in a post on X.
This is what members of the Jewish community in Girona found this morning when they arrived at their synagogue to pray.
Antisemitic vandals had defaced the synagogue’s outer wall with the words:
“ISRAEL ESTAT GENOCIDA, SILENCI = CÒMPLICE”
Translation: “Israel is a genocidal… pic.twitter.com/ERj4z1hKOP— EJA – EIPA (@EJAssociation) September 4, 2025
In a separate incident, three pro-Palestinian activists were arrested on Thursday after trying to force their way into a synagogue in Nice, southeastern France, during an informational meeting on aliyah, the process of Jews immigrating to Israel.
According to local reports, several individuals attempted to forcibly enter the place of worship, sparking violent clashes and insults that left a pregnant woman injured.
Shortly after the incident, law enforcement arrested two women in their forties and a man in his sixties, taking them into custody as part of an investigation into aggravated violence.
The charges involve attacks on a vulnerable person, actions carried out by a group, religious motivation, and public religious insults.
Local authorities strongly condemned the act and announced that police officers would remain stationed outside the synagogue for as long as necessary.
Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents have surged to alarming levels across Europe.
Jewish individuals have been facing a surge in hostility and targeted attacks, including vandalism of murals and businesses, as well as physical assaults.
RSS
Iran’s Alliances With China, Russia Falter as Regime Faces Growing Isolation, Study Finds
Chinese Foreign Minister Wag Yi stands with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazeem Gharibabadi before a meeting regarding the Iranian nuclear issue at Diaoyutai State Guest House on March 14, 2025 in Beijing, China. Photo: Pool via REUTERS
As Iran continues to face major crises both at home and abroad, its ties to China and Russia are proving far weaker than they seem, leaving the regime to confront the fallout largely on its own, according to a new study.
The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an Israeli think tank, has released a report examining how the 12-day war with Israel in June exposed the limits of Iran’s alliances with China and Russia.
In the study, authors Raz Zimmt and Danny Citrinowicz note that both China and Russia favored cautious diplomacy over direct support at a time when the Iranian regime was most vulnerable.
“The policy of Moscow and Beijing, which consisted of fairly mild condemnations of the Israeli and US strikes in Iran, sparked criticism and disappointment in Tehran,” the report explains.
“It also reinforced the Iranian assessment that its reliance on Russia and China remains limited, particularly in the event of a military confrontation with Israel and the United States,” it continues.
Earlier this week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian traveled to Beijing, joining Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, as the three nations aim to project a united front against the West.
The high-profile gathering came after Pezeshkian and Putin held talks in China on Monday on the sidelines of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
During a joint press conference, the Iranian president hailed Tehran’s cooperation with Moscow as “highly valuable,” adding that continued implementation of their 20-year treaty signed earlier this year would further strengthen ties and expand collaboration.
Putin also noted that the relationship between the two countries is “growing increasingly friendly and expanding” amid mounting pressure and sanctions from Western countries.
According to Zimmt and Citrinowicz, Iran has little room to maneuver, even more so now as the regime faces the imminent threat of UN sanctions being reimposed due to efforts by Britain, France, and Germany, forcing it to rely on its fragile alliances with Russia and China.
“It is clear that for now, Iran has no viable alternative to continuing its political, economic, and security partnership, as limited as it may be, with Russia and China, especially given the escalating tensions between Tehran and Europe,” the paper explains.
“Likewise, Russia and China, who view Iran as a junior partner in a coalition against the West and the United States, have no real alternative to Tehran, and they are expected to continue the partnership as long as it serves their interests,” it adds.
The authors argue that China and Russia could readily sacrifice Iran to further their strategic goals, including strengthening ties with Washington.
The study comes just days after an Iranian official accused Russia without evidence of providing intelligence to Israel during the 12-day Middle Eastern war in June which allegedly helped the Jewish state target and destroy Iran’s air defense systems.
Mohammad Sadr, a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council and close adviser to former President Mohammad Khatami, claimed Israel’s precise strikes on Iranian air defense systems were suspicious.
He noted Russia’s refusal to support Iran during the war, saying that Moscow had shown a “bias in favor of Israel” and that the recent conflict demonstrated the “strategic agreement with Russia is nonsense.”
“This war proved that the strategic alliance with Moscow is worthless,” Sadr said during an interview with BBC Persian, referring to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
“We must not think that Russia will come to Iran’s aid when the time comes,” he continued.
At the SCO summit in Tianjin earlier this week, Tehran also described its ties with China as “flourishing,” pointing to a strategic pact similar to the one it signed with Russia.
According to some reports, China may be helping Iran rebuild its decimated air defenses following the 12-day war with Israel.
China is the largest importer of Iranian oil, with nearly 90 percent of Iran’s crude and condensate exports going to Beijing. The two sides also recently signed a 25-year cooperation agreement, held joint naval drills, and continued to trade Iranian oil despite US sanctions.
“It should be noted that despite the 25-year cooperation agreement signed between Tehran and Beijing in March 2021, the partnership between the two countries remains very limited, and China does not provide solutions to most of Iran’s economic difficulties, including the need for infrastructure investment,” the INSS study explains.
RSS
US Lawmakers Urge Trump to Restrict Visas for Iran’s President, Other Regime Officials Ahead of UN General Assembly
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a meeting in Ilam, Iran, June 12, 2025. Photo: Iran’s Presidential website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to block or sharply restrict visas for Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and other top Iranian officials traveling to New York this month for the United Nations General Assembly, warning that Tehran will use the global platform to disguise its escalating repression at home.
In a letter sent to Trump on Thursday, 40 members of Congress pointed to Iran’s recent human rights record, which includes nearly 1,500 executions in the past year, and accused Pezeshkian’s government of openly threatening to repeat the mass killings of dissidents that scarred the country in 1988.
“Immediately following the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the Iranian regime escalated its widespread internal crackdown, arbitrarily arresting hundreds of ethnic minorities, civil society leaders, women’s rights activists, and others,” the lawmakers wrote. They described Iran’s leaders as “criminals” who “support terrorism” and “sow hatred and instability across the Middle East.”
The letter was signed by an unusually broad coalition of Republicans and Democrats, including House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (NY), as well as Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Deborah Ross (R-NC), and Val Hoyle (D-OR), underscoring how concern about Iran’s hostility toward the US and its allies continues to cut across party lines.
Drawing a distinction between the regime and the Iranian people who support democracy, the lawmakers asked Trump to make a strong statement against a country that US intelligence agencies have long labeled the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism.
“We respectfully urge you to restrict the Iranian delegation’s freedom of movement, and, to the extent possible, refrain from issuing visas to key delegation members, including for its President, Masoud Pezeshkian,” the letter stated.
It continued, “We urge you to take a strong stand against the Iranian regime’s ongoing support for terrorism and human rights abuses, in line with your dedication toward ‘Peace through Strength’ and the maximum pressure campaign against the regime. We look forward to working you to further
oppose the destructive and destabilizing influence of the government of Iran and support the
Iranian people on the world stage.”
The lawmakers’ request comes as the Trump administration weighs new restrictions on several UN delegations ahead of the annual gathering. According to a State Department memo obtained by the Associated Press, the US is considering limiting the movements of officials not just from Iran, but also from Sudan and Zimbabwe. The department is also considering limiting the movements of officials from Brazil, whose president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, traditionally opens the General Assembly.
The proposals also suggest that Iranian diplomats be barred from shopping at Costco or Sam’s Club without explicit permission from the State Department, according to the AP report. Diplomats from Iran have historically relied on those stores to buy affordable goods unavailable in their home country. By contrast, the memo indicates that delegates from Syria may be granted a waiver, reflecting shifting US priorities in the region.
Under the UN Headquarters Agreement, the US is obligated to grant visas to foreign officials attending UN functions. But successive administrations have imposed restrictions on the travel of adversarial delegations, typically confining them to Manhattan and surrounding boroughs. The latest proposals would go further, potentially requiring advance State Department approval for movements and limiting access to certain businesses.