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January 17, 2018

Updated: AFP Photo Captions Mislead on Gaza 'Smuggling Tunnels'

Update Appended to Bottom of Post: AFP Removes Misleading Reference to 'Smuggling' Tunnels
A series of Agence France Presse photo captions earlier this week misleadingly identified the tunnel discovered under the Kerem Shalom crossing, extending from Gaza into Israeli territory, as "smuggling tunnels" [sic], despite the fact that the Israeli army has said it is an offensive attack tunnel.

According to Haaretz:

In contrast to Hamas' claims that the tunnel was used for smuggling goods, the IDF unequivocally stated that it was an attack tunnel used to smuggle in weapons, terrorists and other operatives into Israel in order to carry out terror attacks.

A sampling of the captions with the misleading reference to "smuggling tunnels," as if the tunnel was intended to illegally move flour, livestock or other harmless goods across the border, follows.

Palestinian security forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority (L), walk at the Kerem Shalom crossing, the main passage point for goods entering Gaza, after is was closed by Israel following the discovery of smuggling tunnels underneath the crossing, in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafat on January 14, 2018. SAID KHATIB / AFP A Palestinian security man closes the gate of the Kerem Shalom crossing, the main passage point for goods entering Gaza, after it was closed by Israel following the discovery of smuggling tunnels underneath the crossing, in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafat on January 14, 2018. Palestinians ride a donkey and cart near the Kerem Shalom crossing, the main passage point for goods entering Gaza, after is was closed by Israel following the discovery of smuggling tunnels underneath the crossing, in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafat on January 14, 2018. SAID KHATIB / AFP

But as AFP itself reported ("Israel destroys tunnel from Gaza it says intended for attacks"):

Israel said Sunday it used a combination of air strikes and other means to destroy a tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into the country and continuing into Egypt.

Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said the tunnel belonged to Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, and was intended for attacks as opposed to smuggling.

Such tunnels have been used to carry out attacks in the past.

In particular, in 2014, Hamas used a similar tunnel to infiltrate into Israeli territory and kill five soldiers.

As of this writing, AFP has failed to clarify its captions which echo Hamas' dubious claim that the tunnel's purpose was to smuggle goods.

See also: AFP Last to Correct Its Own Arabic Mistranslation

Update, 6:20 a.m. EST: AFP Removes Misleading Reference to 'Smuggling' Tunnels

AFP has amended all of the captions, removing the misleading reference to "smuggling tunnels." The captions still erroneously refer to the discovery of tunnels (in plural), though the discovery of just one tunnel was announced this week.

Palestinian security forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority (L), walk at the Kerem Shalom crossing, the main passage point for goods entering Gaza, after is was closed by Israel following the discovery of tunnels underneath the crossing, in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafat on January 14, 2018. A Palestinian security man closes the gate of the Kerem Shalom crossing, the main passage point for goods entering Gaza, after it was closed by Israel following the discovery of tunnels underneath the crossing, in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafat on January 14, 2018. Palestinians ride a donkey and cart near the Kerem Shalom crossing, the main passage point for goods entering Gaza, after is was closed by Israel following the discovery of tunnels underneath the crossing, in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafat on January 14, 2018.

Posted by TS at January 17, 2018 02:11 AM

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