DPA Captions Wrongly Blame Israel for Islamic Jihad Deaths
Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA) published photo captions yesterday which incorrectly imply that an Israeli strike was responsible for the deaths of two Islamic Jihad members in Gaza. The photos and captions, distributed by major photo agencies including Agence France Presse (AFP) and Associated Press, note the funeral procession for the Islamic Jihad men “follow[ed] an Israeli strike in Beit Lahia, Northern Gaza Strip.”
ATTENTION/GRAPHIC CONTENT: Palestinians carry the body of one of two Islamic Jihad militants, during a funral procession following an Israeli strike in Beit Lahia, Northern Gaza Strip, 12 December 2017.Wissam Nassar.
ATTENTION/GRAPHIC’CONTENT: Palestinians mourn and shout slogans as they carry the body of one of two Islamic Jihad militants, during a funral procession following an Israeli strike in Beit Lahia, Northern Gaza Strip, 12 December 2017.Wissam Nassar.
But as DPA reported today (“Israeli air force bombs Gaza Strip after rocket attacks”):
Also on Tuesday, two Palestinian militants were confirmed dead after an explosion in the Gaza Strip, the Gaza Health Ministry said.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group said that the two militants – Hassan Ghazi Nasrallah and Mustafa al-Sultan – were preparing rockets when the explosion occurred. (Emphasis added.)
In addition, Haaretz reported yesterday (“Gaza-based Islamic Jihad Drops Claim of Israeli Drone Strike“):
The Islamic Jihad militant group in Gaza now says the blast that killed two of its members was an accident.
The group earlier Tuesday accused Israel of killing the men in an airstrike. But it has issued a new statement saying the men had mishandled explosives.
Ealier [sic] reports from Gaza’s Hamas-controlled Health Ministry said Tuesday that two Palestinians were killed in what was described as an assassination by an Israeli military drone. Palestinians say the two killed were members of the Al-Quds Brigade, the military wing of Islamic Jihad.
The Israeli army denied any role in the incident and said that contrary to the Palestinian report, the military had not carried out any such drone strike in Gaza. Israeli army officials said that the explosion was believed to have been the result of a “work accident,” the term generally used when explosives intended to be used by militants against Israel explode prematurely.
CAMERA has contacted DPA to request a clarification. Stay tuned for an update.
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