On September 8, 2026, CJPME sent a letter of complaint to the Associated Press and the Toronto Star regarding factual inaccuracies in an article regarding Israel’s release of Lebanese and Syrian abductees.

The article originally specified that “the strikes came days after Israel released five Lebanese prisoners as part of a deal between the two countries.”

However, the four released by Israel were two Lebanese nationals, Ali Shour and Hussein Ayash, and two Syrians, Asaad al-Hseika and Wissam Ibrahim al-Samawi. The last abductee, Malek Ghazi, who was abducted by Israel in October 2025 in the Rashaya region, was actually released the day before (Thursday morning).

After CJPME advocacy efforts, the article was updated to specify that the 5 individuals released between Thursday and Friday were Lebanese and Syrian nationals. An editor’s note was issued too:

However, CJPME notes that the framing is still problematic as the Lebanese and Syrians released were not prisoners under the conventional sense; they were illegally abducted. L’Orient Today reported they were captured and taken hostage by the Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. A more accurate description; therefore, would be abductees or hostages, instead of prisoners. 

We therefore call on Canadian media outlets to review their editorial practices when choosing between the terms “prisoner,” “detainee,” “hostage,” and “abductee” as the use of each of these terms has different implications. The taking of hostages for instance is illegal under international law and constitutes a war crime. The difference in language also tends to represent a double standard in which Palestinians and Arabs are held “prisoner” by Israel, but Israelis are held as “hostages,” regardless of the context.