The Media Accountability Project  

Major media outlets, from the Globe and Mail and CNN to BBC and The New York Times reported on the findings of a 300-page report published by the Civil Commission on October 7 Crimes by Hamas Against Women and Children, an Israeli non-profit founded in 2023. The report, titled “Silenced No More Sexual Terror Unveiled: The Untold Atrocities of October 7 and Against Hostages in Captivity,” claims to document evidence gathered through more than 430 interviews conducted over the past two years with alleged survivors, witnesses, returned hostages, and family members. It alleges that Hamas militants perpetrated systematic, widespread, and calculated sexual and gender-based violence during the October 7, 2023 attacks.

"By repeating Israeli military statements without skepticism, your reporting risks whitewashing Israel’s war crime of indiscriminately bombing of Palestinian civilians in occupied Gaza."

"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."

"Thank you for publishing an opinion piece that provided context that readers typically don’t see in reports and articles in the Canadian media. For example, the Palestinian death toll, the investigation by the ICJ in examining Israel’s role in committing genocide and the illegal occupation that Palestinians have been enduring for 77 years."

"I am raising this because the media has a responsibility to approach Israeli claims with skepticism, particularly when they are not verified by independent third parties. Failing to do so risks amplifying an Israeli narrative that justifies war crimes, specifically those outlined in article 8(2)(b)(ii) of the Rome Statute (1998), which criminalizes intentionally targeting civilian objects, including homes, schools, and hospitals."

"The National Post published an egregious piece parroting Israeli propaganda—dismissing the well-substantiated charge of genocide, the gravest crime under international law. This denial comes despite leading international organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, having characterized Israel’s post-October 7 military campaign as genocidal."

"I took exception to the section of the article that discussed Hamas and  the UNRWA. Claims and statements were made in that section without citing any of the evidence that has disproved many of them."

"A CBC News article on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire downplays Israel’s genocidal intent in occupied Gaza and omits key context. It fails to mention Gaza as a territory occupied by Israel. The article profoundly misrepresents Hamas policies, as well as Israel's relationship with the Palestinian Authority."

"I am raising this because it is the responsibility of the media to approach such claims with skepticism and independently verify allegations made by Israel, particularly when they are not substantiated by credible evidence. In fact, these claims are often contradicted by statements from Hamas and, as noted by the OHCHR, could not be verified by an independent third party."

"Kinsella’s harrowing tale of Yousef’s journey from potential Hamas leader to Mossad agent rings hollow when it’s used to legitimize Muslim hate speech. That’s not a very punk opinion if you ask me."