Describing it as the “Hamas-run” Health Ministry is not a neutral designation; it is a politically loaded term that portrays Palestinian hospitals as suspicious and untrustworthy - as if the facts must first pass through a filter of suspicion.
To the CityNews Everywhere newsroom,
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East regarding your article titled: “Montreal students rally in support of Palestinians in Gaza to mark second anniversary of conflict.”
Compared to much of the student protest coverage seen last year, this article is overall balanced, including the voices of students who went on strike on October 7th to mark two years since Israel launched its genocidal campaign against the people of Gaza. The article also provides essential context, including that the United Nations has concluded Israel is committing the crime of genocide, and that more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel. I especially appreciate that you gave space to student spokespeople to clarify that this is a peaceful movement calling for justice and peace for the Palestinian people.
However, if I may offer constructive feedback to make the article more balanced.
First, the headline refers to “two years of conflict.” I am afraid this is inaccurate and misleading. What is happening in Gaza is not a “conflict” between equal sides - it is a genocide and a prolonged campaign of extermination waged by an occupying power against a besieged population. Using the word “conflict” then, is misleading.
Please change your headline accordingly.
Second, the article mentions that more than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed according to the “Hamas controlled Gaza health ministry.” Regardless of one’s opinion of Hamas, it is the de facto governing authority in the occupied Gaza Strip. Naturally, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza operates under its jurisdiction - as any civil institution would under a local government.
Describing it as the “Hamas-run” Health Ministry is not a neutral designation; it is a politically loaded term that portrays Palestinian hospitals as suspicious and untrustworthy - as if the facts must first pass through a filter of suspicion.
This framing also undermines the credibility of the medical data they provide, and worse, feeds into anti-Palestinian bias. It primes audiences to see Palestinians not as victims, but as suspects - less deserving of empathy.
This double standard is glaring. When Israelis are killed, their deaths are reported as fact - no qualifiers, no insinuations. Yet when Palestinians are killed, the deaths are always preceded with the phrase: “according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.”
A hospital is a hospital, is it not?
In the name of fair and accurate reporting, as outlined in the Canadian Association of Journalists’ guidelines, I urge you to refrain from using the phrase “Hamas-run.” Instead, simply say the “Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza.”
Thank you again for publishing a generally balanced article. I look forward to your response and the proper corrections being made in the interest of accurate and balanced reporting.
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East