"In the name of fair and accurate journalism, I believe this context should have been included in the article, as it’s crucial for readers to understand what truly happened on October 7, including the fact that Israel’s own military directives led to the deaths of its own civilians."
July 10, 2025
To the Toronto Star and Canadian Press newsrooms,
I’m writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (www.cjpme.org) about the recent article by Dylan Robertson at the Canadian Press on Canada moving closer to recognizing Palestinian statehood, published in the Toronto Star on July 9, 2025 titled: “Envoy says Canada is coming closer to recognizing Palestinian statehood.”
The article states that the death toll from October 7th is around 1,200. However, it’s important to note that the exact death toll from that day remains disputed and more complex than often reported. A May 2024 investigation by Agence France-Presse (AFP) found that 1,189 people were killed, including 810 civilians and 379 Israeli security personnel. This total also includes Israeli civilians who were taken captive and later killed in the occupied Gaza Strip.
Importantly, some of the Israeli civilians who died on October 7th were killed by the Israeli occupation forces themselves under the Hannibal Directive—a military protocol that permits the use of overwhelming force to prevent the capture of Israeli personnel, even at the cost of harming or even killing hostages. Israeli officials and media outlets have confirmed that the Directive was invoked on October 7th. Furthermore, a United Nations commission determined that at least 14 Israeli civilians were killed by Israeli forces that day in incidents directly linked to this policy.
In the name of fair and accurate journalism, I believe this context should have been included in the article, as it’s crucial for readers to understand what truly happened on October 7, including the fact that Israel’s own military directives led to the deaths of its own civilians.
I await your response and send my regards in the meantime.