"The article refers to Palestinian “prisoners”, and in doing so, neglects critical context on Israel’s use of administrative detention, which allows Israel to imprison Palestinians indefinitely without charge or trial."
May 7, 2025
Dear Niagara Falls Review and Associated Press newsrooms,
I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME, https://www.cjpme.org) to express my concern regarding the article titled “Netanyahu says war won't end until Hamas is defeated” published on May 14, 2025.
Firstly, the use of the word “war” in the headline is passive and fails to attribute responsibility to Israel as the occupying power waging a war against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip. A more active and accurate wording would uphold ethical standards of journalistic accuracy, as laid out by the Canadian Association of Journalists. For example, “Netanyahu says Israel's war on Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip won’t end until Hamas is defeated”, would more accurately describe the situation for the reader.
Secondly, the article refers to Palestinian “prisoners”, and in doing so, neglects critical context on Israel’s use of administrative detention, which allows Israel to imprison Palestinians indefinitely without charge or trial. This practice violates international law, particularly Article 9(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a legally binding treaty ratified by Israel in 1991. For accuracy, the sentence "Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza" should refer to “prisoners and detainees”.
Thirdly, the article refers to Israel blocking “all imports from entering into the Palestinian enclave”. To be accurate, the sentence should refer to Israel’s blockage of “all imports, including humanitarian assistance”, given that the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is currently examining allegations of genocide committed by Israel, has ordered the Israeli government to ensure the “unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance” to Palestinians in Gaza.
Lastly, the article states many of Israel’s actions against Palestinians without referring to reports by the UN and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which clarify that Israel’s warfare methods and actions are consistent with genocide.
Thanks in advance for making these corrections, and I encourage the Associated Press and the Niagara Falls Review to take these suggestions into account to meet standards of accuracy in future reporting.
Sincerely,
Alison Jenkins