"Aid is not being “limited in the region.” Such words tend to undermine Israel’s actions and responsibility. Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza, although it is its responsibility as an occupying power to let aid in."
March 11, 2024
To:
Nancy Waugh, Sr. Manager, CBC News
Anchal Sharma, Journalist, CBC News Ottawa
Dear Nancy Waugh and Anchal Sharma,
I am writing to thank you for the article: “‘It feels different’: Gaza war weighs heavily as Muslims mark Ramadan,”published on March 11 on CBC News.
I appreciated that CBC gave voice to the Muslim community preparing for Ramadan when people are being starved in Gaza.
However, you use words that don’t give an accurate and complete picture of the situation in Gaza, which Israel has inflicted.
You write: “For Ghadban, who is also Palestinian Canadian, participating in the 30-day fast is a harrowing reminder of the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza, growing worse due to weeks of aid being limited in the region.”
Aid is not being “limited in the region.” Such words tend to undermine Israel’s actions and responsibility. Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza, although it is its responsibility as an occupying power to let aid in.
Furthermore, some Israeli settlers have blocked aid from entering Gaza, and Israel has made unsubstantiated allegations against UNRWA employees, which led a dozen countries to suspend their funding to UNRWA, the primary organization that helps Palestinians. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, even said Israel was using food and hunger as a weapon and that Israel is deliberately starving Palestinians.
I, therefore, ask you to change the words “aid being limited in the region” to “aid being blocked by Israel in the region” to not absolve Israel’s responsibility for the starvation of Gazans.
I hope CBC News will make this change and consider my suggestion when reporting on aid being sent to Palestine in the future.
Sincerely,
Fatima Haidar,
Media Analyst, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East