The Media Accountability Project  

"The article closes with AP's boilerplate characterization of the Israeli attacks as 'retaliatory.' The ethnic cleansing, genocide and violence against Palestinians has been ongoing for nearly 75 years. It did not begin in October 2023."

While I appreciate this inspiring story of Palestinian women’s strength and tenacity, well-timed during FIFA, which gives much-needed space for Palestinians to give their perspectives, the story is undermined by the lack of recognition of why Palestinian women are facing these challenges in the first place.

We therefore request that Associated Press and CTV News amend the article in the interest of accuracy and replace the phrase “seized large swaths of that country” with language reflecting the reported facts on the ground - that Israel currently occupies approximately 570 square kilometres (220 square miles) of Lebanese territory.

The Toronto Star has a responsibility to provide rigorous, contextual, and impartial journalism. This article falls short of that standard. I therefore urge you to amend the title of the piece to reflect a more balanced and evidence-based account of the killing of the Palestinian teenager, specifically attributing Israel in the headline

Basic principles of responsible journalism require clear reporting of the who, what, where, when, and why. In this case, the sentence refers to “the strike” without identifying the actors responsible for decapitating Iran’s Supreme Leader.

First, the headline and body refer to a “ceasefire.” Its description as “shaky” is wholly inadequate; a better qualifier would be “ephemeral” or “chimerical.” This is because, at last count, Israel’s military had killed over 600 Palestinians in Gaza since the so-called ceasefire took effect in October 2025.

"The article reports that 'at least 7,015 people have been killed' in Iran’s protest crackdown, citing the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), while acknowledging that the AP has been unable to independently verify the toll. While HRANA’s work may be valuable, the figure is presented in a manner that risks conveying a level of certainty that does not exist."

"While I appreciate that the segment includes references to international criticism on Israel’s annexation policies, the overall framing and language of the report are heavily reliant on Israel's administrative decisions. The real story is that Israel is ramping up its attempts at ethnically cleansing the West Bank of Palestinians."

Media outlets have a responsibility to distinguish fact from assertions, and provide adequate, balanced context to the reader.

"It appears that AP is relying on numbers from the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a U.S.-based organization that aggregates arrest data through activist networks under conditions of severe information blackouts inside Iran. While HRANA’s work may be valuable, its figures have not been verified by a reliable third-party."