Following the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, announcing the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, the CNN broadcast scenes deemed “provocative” and allegedly untruthful in their realistic depiction.
CNN Correspondent Clarissa Ward Reports Under Fire Near Gaza Strip
A scene featuring a CNN correspondent hiding during a bombing was highlighted in a contentious video clip broadcast by CNN. The clip shows the network’s chief international correspondent, American Clarissa Ward, along with her camera crew, seeking shelter in a trench in the Eshkol settlement area, located on the Gaza Strip, to avoid exposure to a purported strike and missile barrage overhead. Along the Israel-Gaza border, she endeavors to describe the surrounding events while breathing heavily, continuing to report while concealed in the trench.
Upon managing to rise, Ward began to detail the tumultuous scene surrounding her, asserting that the events had transpired nearby and alleging that gunmen had fired upon vehicles in the vicinity of herself and her crew.
"Now I can show you the scene here; this is where these gunmen initially came and began firing on all these vehicles," Ward narrates, further mentioning, "There's a baby carriage down there, tipped over on its side as well."
Ward continues, positing that the smoke ascending in the distance in Gaza is due to air strikes and “return fire,” before expressing uncertainty regarding whether it was instigated by rocket launchers, of which she admits to having no certainty.
"Forgive me, it's somewhat challenging to ascertain exactly what's transpiring after crouching in a trench," she admits, despite having only sought refuge in the hiding spot for approximately two minutes.
As Ward proceeded to depict the scene around her, two men clad in civilian attire appeared; one was smoking cigarettes, and they did not seem perturbed by the alleged missile strikes.
Numerous social media users criticized CNN, asserting that Clarissa Ward's scenes were exaggerated, possibly lacking authenticity, or embodying sensationalism.
A CNN Correspondent Reports from a Tranquil Area as if in a War Zone
CNN also aired additional scenes delivered by its international affairs correspondent, Nick Robertson, from the Kfar Azza settlement. He indicated this was following the Israeli army's recapturing of the town from members of the Hamas movement.
Amidst an atmosphere of calm, Robertson reported on the events in his vicinity, adopting an unusual posture, his voice quivering as though he were in the midst of a battlefield, while Israeli army soldiers behind him moved in a normal manner without any visible signs of confrontation or bombing nearby.
In the report, Robertson spoke about the number of Israeli bodies in the area following the two-day-long battles, alleging that the Israeli forces found "the bodies of men, women, and children, hands bound, shot dead, executed, and beheaded on the spot."
After CNN aired these scenes, some accounts revisited footage from past reports that the network had broadcast over the years, observing that its war reports consistently contain fabrications and other controversial elements.
Does CNN Maintain Impartiality in the Palestinian-Israeli War?
Upon reviewing the press reports that CNN publishes on its website about the ongoing conflict, it appears that the language utilized in many of its reports on Palestine is often imprecise and distorts certain objective facts.
CNN reported on the "Iron Swords" operation, which Israel announced in retaliation to the Al-Aqsa Flood operation launched by the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military arm of the Hamas movement, during which Israeli settlements were attacked. CNN stated that "during the operation, the Israeli army struck suspected Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza." The network, citing the Palestinian Ministry of Health, reported that hundreds had been killed.
CNN also propagated the Israeli narrative that the Israeli army "requested civilians in Gaza to evacuate their residential areas immediately to safeguard their lives as Israeli military operations targeting Hamas persist." This narrative is misleading and has been circulated by the Israeli media.
During the recent aggression, Israel bombed numerous civilian homes, many without warning. Media outlets documented scenes of areas and homes bombed in the recent conflict, such as the bustling market in the Al-Ternis area of the Jabalia refugee camp, located in the northern Gaza Strip. This area is known for its vibrancy and dense population, and the bombing resulted in the death and injury of dozens of individuals who were present at the location.
Israel also bombed a home belonging to the Shaaban family, located in the Al-Nasr neighborhood, west of Gaza City, leading to the death of the family, which comprised a father, mother, and four children. The head of the government media office in Gaza, Salama Marouf, confirmed that Israel has, so far, committed massacres against 15 families by directly bombing their homes without prior warning, among other indiscriminate bombing operations on civilians.
In its coverage of the ongoing conflict, CNN characterizes the historical discord between Palestinians and Israelis as “tensions” between the two sides. Overlooking the fact that Israel is legally and objectively an occupying power, it also depicts the territories as disputed, as though there is no illegal settler colonialism in Palestine that displaces Palestinians from their lands.
Previous Incident: CNN Terminates Contract with Journalist Following Criticism of Israel
In November 2018, CNN announced it would cease collaboration with American journalist and academic, Temple Mark Lamont Hill, following his speech at the United Nations wherein he criticized the Israeli occupation and violations of Palestinian rights.
Hill's speech was largely grounded in facts, highlighting Israeli laws that discriminate against Palestinians, the employment of arbitrary violence by Israeli security services, the use of torture against Palestinian detainees, and the denial of due process for the Palestinian people by Israeli courts – all violations that have been thoroughly documented and condemned by the United Nations and numerous human rights organizations.
After pro-Israel organizations condemned Temple's speech, CNN promptly terminated its relationship with him. While the network did not disclose the reason for this decision, press reports suggested that CNN succumbed to pressure from pro-Israel groups that opposed Hill's remarks.
Gazan Exodus Amidst Israel's Imminent Ground Invasion
The Israeli authorities have called for an extensive evacuation towards the southern region of Gaza, a territory already beleaguered by conflict and strife. This directive is rooted in the ongoing and escalating conflict with Hamas. Tensions and turmoil are soaring, both locally and regionally, with fears of the conflict broadening, despite the present relative calm on the Lebanese frontier where exchanges of fire with Hezbollah have occurred in recent times.
The United Nations has issued stark warnings regarding the extensive displacement of nearly half of Gaza’s population, spotlighting the catastrophic implications of such a vast and rapid movement of people. Meanwhile, Hamas has dismissed the evacuation directive as subterfuge, encouraging citizens to remain in place.
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