Did the Citizen verify this claim or did they simply regurgitate the JNS article without any journalistic oversight?
February 10, 2026
To the Ottawa Citizen and the Jewish News Syndicate,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) about your article “Israel piloting limited border reopening between Gaza and Egypt” published on February 1, 2026.
This article is outright Israeli propaganda provided by the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS).
Why does the Ottawa Citizen choose to publish content produced by an overtly biased source?
This report violates journalistic principles by omitting most of the relevant information surrounding the miniscule lifting of Israel’s siege on Gaza. It also repeats incorrect information as fact.
The truth of the matter is, Israel’s fake “ceasefire” has killed hundreds of Palestinians since October 2025. This includes the starving of children and babies freezing to death because of the Israeli blockade of aid and the necessities of life. This all in violation of their “ceasefire” agreement. According to the agreement, 600 trucks per day were to go into Gaza. Israel has let less than half of these through. You quote an Israeli source as claiming 42,000 have gone through but there is no evidence provided. This claim is simply not true and should not be printed as fact by a serious newspaper.
DId the Citizen verify this claim or did they simply regurgitate the JNS article without any journalistic oversight?
So far only 5 people in need of medical attention have left Gaza while hundreds more wait. Only 12 people have been allowed to travel back into Gaza. This is simply a continuation of Israel’s relentless cruelty which the JNS piece attempts to spin as benevolence.
Throughout the article you rely entirely on Israeli sources, most of which are COGAT, until the final paragraphs where you quote Nickolay Mladenov. He conveniently shifts blame of the Israeli murder of 3 Palestinians last Friday on to Hamas. This is a classic technique used by the apologists - Israel's crimes are always the fault of Hamas.
Again, was this claim made by Israel fact checked or verified in any way?
This one-sidedness in this article and lack of basic fact checking place it in clear violation of your own journalistic standards of accuracy and fairness.
I ask that you consider revising the article to clarify facts from allegations. I also suggest you consider the integrity of the Ottawa Citizen and your reliance on poor sources like the JNS.
Thank you for reading and I look forward to your response.
Jeff Winch