UPDATED: Palestians Kill Girl, Blame Israel?

By Published On: July 2, 2009

Hamas media.jpg
Hamas and microphones

UPDATE: After Israel further investigated the exchange of fire with Palestinian gunmen during which the girl was killed, it determined that the she was probably struck by an Israeli shell, though not a tank shell. Credit to those – whether army investigators or journalists – who pursued the facts behind this unfortunate incident.

While Fatah is confiscating material from reporters in the West Bank, Hamas seems to be feeding them lies.

Hamas announced today that an Israeli tank shell killed a 17-year-old girl in Gaza.

Considering Hamas’s history of disregard for the facts, such claims should be treated with skepticism.

Fortunately, instead of taking Hamas’s claims at face value, AP reporter Ibrahim Barzak did what all journalists should, but all too often don’t, do: He dug a little bit deeper, and in doing so, found something interesting. Not only did Israel deny responding to the Palestinian gunfire with tank shells, but Palestinians in Gaza also suggested that Hamas was lying:

Other Palestinians raised doubts about the report that an Israel[i] tank shell was responsible for the blast, noting that reporters were uncharacteristically banned from the area and the family refused to talk to them.

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