"Given this context, these detainees are not conventional prisoners and it’s better to describe them as hostages. This distinction is critical, as it challenges the implicit narrative that Palestinians in Israeli prisons have all been convicted of criminal offenses, when in reality, many are held without charge or trial. Reframing their status as hostages better reflects the power dynamics at play and highlights the broader context of occupation and human rights violations by Israel."
Dear CTV Your Morning News broadcasting team,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express my concern about your recent broadcast on January 28, 2025, regarding the ceasefire in Gaza and the hostage exchange deal between Israel and Hamas.
While the segment noted the release of seven Israeli hostages and the tragic death of eight others, it failed to provide vital context about the broader situation, including the staggering Palestinian death toll during the last 15 months of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Roughly 47,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s brutal siege of the strip. This exclusion, deliberate or not, frames your coverage in a one-sided manner and significantly downplays the suffering of Palestinians and erases their narrative.
Furthermore, while your report included the 90 Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, you exclude the thousands of Palestinians detained by Israel. I also take issue with the term “Palestinian prisoners” instead of “Palestinian hostages.”
To be clear, most of these Palestinian “prisoners” are held under administrative detention. According to human rights organizations, Israel’s dual legal system constitutes apartheid, as it enforces separate and unequal treatment based on nationality and ethnicity. Under this system, Palestinians, including children, are often detained without charge or trial under administrative detention orders. As of December 1, 2024, Israeli authorities held 2,873 Palestinians in administrative detention, marking a three-decade high. Amnesty International has documented the systematic use of torture and degrading treatment of Palestinian detainees, including beatings, stress positions, and denial of medical care, all of which violate international law.
Given this context, these detainees are not conventional prisoners and it’s better to describe them as hostages. This distinction is critical, as it challenges the implicit narrative that Palestinians in Israeli prisons have all been convicted of criminal offenses, when in reality, many are held without charge or trial. Reframing their status as hostages better reflects the power dynamics at play and highlights the broader context of occupation and human rights violations by Israel.
Since you referred to the Israelis in the exchange as hostages, it seems only fair to refer to the Palestinians in the same manner. Failure to do so is a double-standard.
Again, your decision to highlight Israeli experiences while excluding the far greater Palestinian suffering is a clear example of selective reporting and single-viewpoint coverage. Such reporting fails to meet the journalistic standards of fairness and impartiality, as outlined by the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) Ethics Guidelines.
The CAJ emphasizes that news should reflect diversity and provide equal consideration to all affected parties. Reporting on the violence in Gaza without acknowledging the broader historical and political context, or the disproportionate suffering endured by Palestinians, erases their humanity and misleads your audience about the realities of the situation.
I ask that CTV Your Morning News include this comprehensive context in future broadcasts. I also demand that you issue an on-air clarification that addresses the exclusion of the Palestinian death toll and Israel’s arbitrary detention of Palestinians in detention centers in your January 28 broadcast.
I trust that you will take this feedback seriously. Failure to address these concerns may prompt a formal complaint to the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC).
I await your response,
Anthony Issa
Media Analyst
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East