RSS
The Media’s Reaction to Al Jazeera’s Oct. 7 Documentary Is Revealing
An aerial view shows the bodies of victims of an attack following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip lying on the ground in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in southern Israel, Oct. 10, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg
Al Jazeera’s latest feature-length documentary, titled October 7, holds few surprises.
Those familiar with the Qatari-owned media organization will know that it has become among the biggest sources of disinformation since the start of the war, with Al Jazeera just days ago fabricating a story that accused IDF soldiers of raping Palestinian women.
According to Al Jazeera, its so-called “Investigative Unit” carried out a forensic analysis of the day of the Hamas massacre — including “examining seven hours of footage from CCTV, dashcams, personal phones and headcams of dead Hamas fighters” — and concluded that “many of the worst stories that came out in the days following the attack were false.”
“This was especially true of atrocities that were used repeatedly by politicians in Israel and the West to justify the ferocity of the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, such as the mass killing of babies and allegations of widespread and systematic rape,” adds a description of the film on YouTube.
It would be a time-consuming task to refute the package of lies that comprise the full hour-long documentary — from the malicious claim that Israel killed numerous Israeli civilians and hostages on October 7, to Al Jazeera disputing whether Hamas terrorists raped Israeli victims.
HonestReporting has previously criticized Western media organizations for using Al Jazeera’s material, pointing out that a number of its journalists have been unmasked as Hamas terrorists.
And given the lack of attention the October 7 documentary received in the international press, many organizations appear to be heeding these warnings about Al Jazeera’s credibility.
Far from creating the stir that Al Jazeera likely imagined, media outlets have steered clear of making any reference to the film.
Indeed, the biggest indicator of Al Jazeera’s plummeting credibility can be found in who did comment on the documentary, including well-known conspiracists, antisemites, and anti-Israel activists.
For example, Guardian columnist Owen Jones, who in December released a 25-minute camera monologue in which he questioned the extent of Hamas’ war crimes, ludicrously described Al Jazeera’s propaganda as “undoubtedly the most accurate account of what happened that day…”
A new Al Jazeera documentary on 7th October is the most definitive account of what happened that terrible day.
That is:
– Hamas and other armed groups committed grave war crimes and killed hundreds of innocent civilians.
– Some of the most extreme claims about atrocities that… pic.twitter.com/tJoBy5zzaw
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) March 23, 2024
Naturally, Jones fails to say why it is “undoubtedly” the most accurate account of October 7; he cannot say why Al Jazeera’s hit piece should be believed over the countless testimonies of survivors who witnessed the atrocities first-hand.
Jones has been described by his former Guardian colleague Hadley Freeman as a “propagandist,” who raised a “cynical eyebrow at dead naked Israeli women, all the while parroting unquestioningly claims from Hamas.”
Meanwhile, former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) written by ex-Daily Mail journalist Peter Oborne that claims the “scrupulous documentary” exposes the “failure of the British media to examine the Israeli narrative.”
Oborne, whose antisemitism has placed him on HonestReporting’s radar for many years, linked to his op-ed in The Middle East Eye in which he suggested Hamas was unfairly painted as “subhuman barbarians.”
Other so-called journalists to endorse Al Jazeera’s foul attempt at whitewashing the events of October 7 include Asa Winstanley, a writer for the notorious anti-Israel hate site Electronic Intifada, whose membership of the UK’s Labour Party was suspended over his antisemitism; Jeremy Scahill, the current editor of alternative news outlet The Intercept; and Michael Walker, a host for Novara Media, a leftwing news site that has repeatedly defended Palestinian terrorism.
A trend can be observed when looking at the individuals who endorsed Al Jazeera’s documentary: each of them has a history of espousing anti-Israel rhetoric and/or demonizing Jews.
The fact that not a single mainstream media outlet has covered the release of Al Jazeera’s film speaks volumes. No organization wanted to be seen promoting what is clearly an attempt to distort the horrors of October 7 and deny the magnitude of Hamas’ crimes.
There’s an old saying that you can judge a man by the company he keeps. It is not surprising, then, that any respectable journalist would want to avoid being associated with the aforementioned individuals.
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’s Reaction to Al Jazeera’s Oct. 7 Documentary Is Revealing first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
RSS
Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
RSS
Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.