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The Media Revives ‘Famine’ Libel and Distorted Casualty Counts to Slander Israel

Egyptian trucks carrying humanitarian aid make their way to the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, at the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Israel, May 30, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Media outlets spread two baseless reports that demonized Israel last weekend, despite clear evidence that debunks them: the eternally “imminent” Gaza famine, and the accusation that 70 percent of casualties in the enclave are women and children.

The first claim was made by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC) — the same body that had acknowledged its own false famine assessment back in June. The second claim was made by the United Nations Human Rights Office, which admitted it used a non-representative sample of “verified” casualties only.

Yet media outlets were all too happy to parrot both claims while turning a blind eye to the gaping holes in their narrative.

“Looming” Famine — Again

Any journalist tasked with covering the FRC’s Gaza reports should act with caution, recalling this body has admitted that its past famine assessments were simply wrong.

Yet not only was the FRC’s recent report widely covered, but there was no mention of its former mistakes.

In fact, the media outlets that covered it — Reuters, The Guardian, The Washington Post, NBC News, and The New York Times — made the journalistic sin of reporting what might happen, although past evidence shows it never did.

This manipulation leaves what the media should be covering unreported — the current situation of no famine, as it has been throughout the war despite all warnings.

Perhaps this is why most of the headlines carry the words “likely” or “likelihood.” Such wording would have any other story unrelated to Israel spiked, especially when it’s based on an unreliable source:

The problem is that the UN’s claims automatically make headlines, while Israel’s claims — that Hamas steals aid or that truckloads full of supplies are stranded at the Kerem Shalom crossing — rarely make it to the last paragraphs.

Casualty (Mis)Count

Another UN claim taken as gospel by the media was that 70 percent of Gaza dead are women and children.

In a demonstration of extreme journalistic malpractice, outlets that covered the story buried the fact it’s based only on a sample of 8,119 verified deaths. Out of this sample, only deaths that occurred in “residential buildings or similar housing” are counted, i.e. — excluding thousands of terrorists killed in combat. Not to mention that the UN itself admitted the verification process was “extremely challenging.”

This skewed report can merit a story only if all the caveats are mentioned at its top.

Instead, media headlines from the BBC, CNN, Sky News, and The Guardian made it seem like the UN figures apply to all the war casualties in Gaza:

The Guardian went further, calling the UN report “the most detailed analysis of its kind yet.”

And Sky News had no problem speculating that the report “rings true:” “The UN’s report rings true with Palestinian claims that women and children represent a large proportion of those killed in the war.”

Sadly, there are only two options that can explain the flawed coverage of the FRC’s famine warning and the UN casualties report: it’s either bad journalism, or bias against Israel.

Usually the latter feeds the former.

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.

The post The Media Revives ‘Famine’ Libel and Distorted Casualty Counts to Slander Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

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Germany to Hold Off on Recognizing Palestinian State but Will Back UN Resolution for Two-State Solution

German national flag flutters on top of the Reichstag building, that seats the Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin, Germany, March 25, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

Germany will support a United Nations resolution for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but does not believe the time has come to recognize a Palestinian state, a government spokesman told Reuters on Thursday.

“Germany will support such a resolution which simply describes the status quo in international law,” the spokesman said, adding that Berlin “has always advocated a two-state solution and is asking for that all the time.”

“The chancellor just mentioned two days ago again that Germany does not see that the time has come for the recognition of the Palestinian state,” the spokesman added.

Britain, France, Canada, Australia, and Belgium have all said they will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly later this month, although London said it could hold back if Israel were to take steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and commit to a long-term peace process.

The United States strongly opposes any move by its European allies to recognize Palestinian independence.

Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US has told other countries that recognition of a Palestinian state will cause more problems.

Those who see recognition as a largely symbolic gesture point to the negligible presence on the ground and limited influence in the conflict of countries such as China, India, Russia, and many Arab states that have recognized Palestinian independence for decades.

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UN Security Council, With US Support, Condemns Strikes on Qatar

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday condemned recent strikes on Qatar’s capital Doha, but did not mention Israel in the statement agreed to by all 15 members, including Israel‘s ally the United States.

Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with the attack on Tuesday, escalating its military action in what the United States described as a unilateral attack that does not advance US and Israeli interests.

The United States traditionally shields its ally Israel at the United Nations. US backing for the Security Council statement, which could only be approved by consensus, reflects President Donald Trump’s unhappiness with the attack ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Council members underscored the importance of de-escalation and expressed their solidarity with Qatar. They underlined their support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar,” read the statement, drafted by Britain and France.

The Doha operation was especially sensitive because Qatar has been hosting and mediating negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Gaza war.

“Council members underscored that releasing the hostages, including those killed by Hamas, and ending the war and suffering in Gaza must remain our top priority,” the Security Council statement read.

The Security Council will meet later on Thursday to discuss the Israeli attack at a meeting due to be attended by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.

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Tucker Carlson Launches Docuseries Exposing the ‘Truth’ About 9/11 After Previously Saying He ‘Hates’ 9/11 Truthers

Tucker Carlson speaks on July 18, 2024 during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY via Reuters Connect

Media personality Tucker Carlson announced late last month a new five-part documentary series supposedly exposing the “truth” about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, after previously saying he “hates” the 9/11 truther conspiracy theories about al Qaeda’s suicide attacks on US soil.

“For nearly 25 years, the true story on 9/11 has been withheld from the American people. Why? We decided to find out for ourselves,” Carlson, a popular right-wing podcaster, posted on X, announcing the documentary series.

The first episode of the series was released on Thursday, the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in which nearly 3,000 people were killed on US soil.

The announcement video claims that “the official story on 9/11 is a complete lie” and that “the 9/11 commission is a cover-up.” Carlson adds that “the 9/11 report is a joke.”

Carlson, a controversial commentator and online provocateur, claims that the documentary will expose what truly happened, including what the US and foreign governments knew in advance.

The line about foreign governments is said in the video while a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flashes across the screen, seemingly suggesting Israel was part of an alleged cover-up related to 9/11.

Carlson’s documentary was released just days after he said he would like to share “condolences” with the family of Osama bin Laden, the late al Qaeda leader who organized the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks

Video has also surfaced showing that Carlson previously suggested that those who spread conspiracy theories about 9/11 are “parasites.” He lambasted those who have claimed 9/11 was an inside job and said “there isn’t any” evidence to support the claim. Carlson also previously said he “hates” when people try to say 9/11 was some sort of cover-up, and that while he is open to theories about most events, those about 9/11 go too far.

Carlson has made a series of controversial comments in recent months, drawing criticism even from conservatives and Republicans.

For example, Carlson drew outrage for platforming Holocaust revisionist and self-described historian Darryl Cooper last year. During their discussion on his podcast, Cooper appeared to downplay the Holocaust, argued that the US was on the “wrong side” of World War II, and suggested that the slaughter of six million Jews in concentration camps was “humane” because the Nazis did not have food to feed the “prisoners of war.”

In December, Carlson invited economist Jeffrey Sachs onto his podcast for a lengthy interview in which both men gave credence to the idea that Israel “controls” US foreign policy. Another, more recent guest floated the idea the US should have allied with Nazi Germany during World War II, saying, “It turns out I think the story we got about World War II is all wrong … one can make the argument that we should have sided with Hitler and fought Stalin.”

Carlson has criticized Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, repeatedly accusing the Jewish state of “blowing up churches and killing Christians.” He lambasted American Christian political leaders for “not being more critical of the destruction in Gaza.”

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