"What is particularly alarming is that, in at least one broadcast (April 13’s CBC Newsroom with Marianne Dimain at 6:15), Anna Cunningham cited the Israeli military's claim that Hamas violated international law. Hamas has accused Israel of a war crime for this attack — yet this claim was not mentioned."
April 14, 2025
Dear Brodie Fenlon and Basem Boshra,
I'm writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, cjpme.org) to express concern about the April 13 broadcast regarding Israel’s recent attack on a hospital in Gaza City. While the reporting varied slightly across platforms, including radio and television, all versions omitted a crucial piece of context: that attacking a hospital is a war crime under international law. Here is the YouTube version for reference.
What is particularly alarming is that, in at least one broadcast (April 13’s CBC Newsroom with Marianne Dimain at 6:15), Anna Cunningham cited the Israeli military's claim that Hamas violated international law. Hamas has accused Israel of a war crime for this attack — yet this claim was not mentioned.
Why is CBC choosing to highlight Israel’s accusations while excluding equally or more substantiated claims from other sources (as in, sources like the UN or human rights organizations)? This reflects a disturbing double standard in coverage.
CBC could also inform the public that Israel has been accused of war crimes for attacks on Gaza health facilities numerous times since October 2023. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory found in October 2024 that:
“Israel has perpetrated a concerted policy to destroy Gaza’s healthcare system as part of a broader assault on Gaza, committing war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination with relentless and deliberate attacks on medical personnel and facilities.”
Further, Article 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention is clear:
“Civilian hospitals organized to give care to the wounded and sick, the infirm and maternity cases, may in no circumstances be the object of attack, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict.”
We request that CBC include this essential legal and humanitarian context in all future coverage of attacks on healthcare infrastructure in Gaza. Reporting that omits well-substantiated allegations of war crimes — while including unproven military claims — fails the basic standard of journalistic balance and undermines public understanding of international law.
Sincerely,
Jason Toney
Director of Media Advocacy, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East