CBC News finally acknowledges the majority of Palestinian deaths are women and children after months of CJPME Advocacy

After months of advocacy, CBC News published a recent article acknowledging that while the Gaza Ministry of Health does not explicitly differentiate between combatants and non-combatants, the majority of Palestinians killed during Israel’s ongoing genocidal campaign in Gaza are women and children.

For months, CJPME media analysts have expressed concerns about media outlets stating that the Gaza Ministry of Health "does not distinguish between combatants and civilians." This framing is misleading, as it casts unnecessary doubt on the extent of civilian deaths. The data confirms that the overwhelming majority are civilians (women, children, and elderly). The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) uses the Gaza Ministry of Health (MoH) and makes clear distinctions between men, women, children, and the elderly in its reports. Below is a graph from UNOCHA, last updated on October 7th, that illustrates these distinctions:

Unlike other outlets, CBC News has shown a willingness to engage with our journalistic ethics concerns and adjust its reporting accordingly. This represents a significant step forward in achieving more accurate and responsible journalism.