"On what basis does Israel claim that the targets were operating a drone, or that the drone was “affiliated with Hamas?” For that matter, what exactly does it mean for a drone to be “affiliated with Hamas” and what threat did the alleged drone pose to Israeli troops?"
Dear CityNews editorial team:I’m writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East regarding the item you aired on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 06:15 a.m., reporting on an Israeli attack in Gaza that killed 11 Palestinians.
We appreciate that you aired the statement from the aid worker who stated that the vehicles targeted by the Israeli military were clearly marked. That said, it is disappointing to once again see “Israel says” stenography masquerading as journalism. On what basis does Israel claim that the targets were operating a drone, or that the drone was “affiliated with Hamas?” For that matter, what exactly does it mean for a drone to be “affiliated with Hamas” and what threat did the alleged drone pose to Israeli troops? None of these questions are asked, much less answered, despite Israel’s history of false claims regarding the targeting of aid workers.
We are also disappointed by your reference to a “fragile ceasefire” that each of Hamas and Israel accuse the other of breaching. As the Associated Press reports, it is a matter of record that Israel has killed almost 500 Palestinians in Gaza since the so-called “ceasefire” came into effect. Were the inverse true – that Palestinians had killed almost 500 Israelis in a three-month period – would you (or any Western media outlet) ever describe the situation as a “ceasefire?” Al Jazeera reports that Gaza’s Government Media Office has documented at least 1,300 Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement, a rate of 13 per day.
Conversely, Israeli sources claim less than one violation per day on Hamas’ part. On what possible basis can it be consistent with journalistic ethics to simply refer to mutual finger-pointing?
Conversely, Israeli sources claim less than one violation per day on Hamas’ part. On what possible basis can it be consistent with journalistic ethics to simply refer to mutual finger-pointing?
We understand that your segments are necessarily brief and cannot explore the details of every story, but at a minimum it seems necessary to (a) state, accurately, that Israel has presented no evidence for its claims, (b) avoid asserting that there is a “ceasefire” in Gaza and (c) note that the available data on ceasefire agreement violations skews very heavily towards one side.
Sincerely,
Adam Allouba
Media Advocate
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Do you like this post?