The families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza gathered in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night as details of a tentative ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas were announced, amid some initial confusion over whether both parties had fully agreed to its terms.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced the agreement, slated to go into effect on Sunday, during a press conference in Doha. This was followed by a speech by U.S. President Joe Biden, who described the deal as one primed to bring a “permanent end to the war.”
While some of the exact terms remain unclear—including the names of those who will be released and the precise timing—what is certain is that hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, many jailed for violent and deadly terrorism offenses, will be set free. This includes approximately 1,300 terrorists, around 250 of whom are serving life sentences.
Yet, the media’s coverage of the ceasefire deal on Wednesday night defied belief, managing to portray the release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners not only as a positive step but also as somehow morally equivalent to the freeing of Israeli hostages kidnapped during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terror attacks.
The Associated Press, for example, claimed the deal would involve the release of “hundreds of Palestinian women and children imprisoned by Israel,” a gross misrepresentation of the facts by one of the world’s largest news agencies.
Enough with the false moral equivalence, @AP. The “hundreds of Palestinian women & children imprisoned by Israel” are in jail for terror and violent offenses while Israel’s hostages were brutally kidnapped by Hamas.
And there’s more abysmal reporting of a possible ceasefire 🧵 pic.twitter.com/BjFu6i5PIY
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 15, 2025
Sky News went even further, claiming the exchange involved “the release of a number of hostages in exchange for [the] release of Palestinian prisoners as well, including women, children, sick, and elderly on both sides,” drawing a grotesque and false equivalence between innocent hostages and prisoners held for violent offenses.
“The release of a number of hostages in exchange for a release of a number of Palestinian prisoners as well, including women & children & sick & elderly on both sides.”
No, @SkyNews, Israeli hostages are not morally equivalent to Palestinian prisoners held for terror offenses. pic.twitter.com/gRWSpaZaEa
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 15, 2025
Meanwhile, AFP devoted its coverage to the families of Palestinian prisoners feeling “hopeful” about the ceasefire deal. In a shamelessly sympathetic piece, AFP interviewed Wafaa Ghalmi, whose husband, Ahed Ghalmi, is serving a life sentence plus five years for leading the terror cell that assassinated Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi in 2001. Ghalmi expressed her delight at the possibility of her husband’s release, calling it a “happy” time for her family and others in Gaza.
In addition, numerous outlets, including Reuters, NPR, and Sky News, opted to describe the Palestinian prisoners as “detainees,” suggesting they are being held for political reasons rather than for violent terrorist acts.
“The release of a number of hostages in exchange for a release of a number of Palestinian prisoners as well, including women & children & sick & elderly on both sides.”
No, @SkyNews, Israeli hostages are not morally equivalent to Palestinian prisoners held for terror offenses. pic.twitter.com/gRWSpaZaEa
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 15, 2025
Even more worryingly, some media outlets have already begun to suggest that Israel is violating the terms of the deal—before it has even taken effect. Reuters, for example, implied that Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday night were a breach of the ceasefire, despite the fact that the truce has not yet commenced. Former MSNBC pundit Mehdi Hasan also weighed in, claiming the agreement would only hold if “Israel sticks to it,” conveniently ignoring Hamas’ long history of breaking ceasefire agreements.
The ceasefire isn’t due to go into effect until this coming Sunday.
But that hasn’t stopped @Reuters from implying that Israel has already broken it. pic.twitter.com/DFGhQnjS7k
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 16, 2025
- Israel has never violated a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
- Hamas initiated this war on October 7, 2023, when its terrorists crossed the border, massacred innocent civilians, and kidnapped hundreds of men, women, and children. These hostages have been held in inhumane conditions in Gaza’s underground tunnels.
- There is no moral equivalence between the Israeli hostages—innocent civilians ripped from their homes—and the hundreds of terrorists legitimately held in Israeli prisons for violent offenses.
- Israel’s war in Gaza is against Hamas, a terrorist organization sworn to Israel’s annihilation. Hamas has vowed to repeat October 7 “again and again,” while using Palestinian civilians as human shields and refusing to release the innocent people it abducted.
The media must do their job and report these facts.
Liked this article? Follow HonestReporting on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to see even more posts and videos debunking news bias and smears, as well as other content explaining what’s really going on in Israel and the region.
Credit: Eyal Warshavsky/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
