Spot the difference. Two wire services covered the mass funeral of eight young Palestinians who drowned off the coast of Tunisia nearly two months ago as they tried to escape Gaza for new lives in Europe.
Dealing with Gaza’s undoubted hardships, Reuters went for the same tired old explanation: blame Israel. Indeed, Hamas, the terrorist organization that rules over the Gaza Strip, is not mentioned once in the entire story:
Gaza’s 2.3 million people are no strangers to hardship, after decades of war with Israel, economic clampdowns aided by neighbouring Egypt that starve the economy and splits between Palestinian factions. According to the World Bank, unemployment in Gaza runs at about 50% and more than half its population lives in poverty.”
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So credit to the Associated Press for digging deeper in its report, “Mass funeral in Gaza draws tears, rare criticism of Hamas”:
‘The government that governs us here is the reason. It’s to blame. It’s to blame,’ said Naheel Shaath, whose 21-year-old son Adam was among the dead. ‘I blame all officials here who don’t care for the youths or provide job opportunities for them.’
Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade after Hamas seized control of Gaza from the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority in 2007.
Israel says the closure, which restricts the movement of people and goods in and out of the territory, is needed to prevent Hamas from arming itself. Israel and its Western allies have branded Hamas, an Islamic group sworn to Israel’s destruction, a terrorist group. Critics say the blockade amounts to collective punishment.
The blockade has stifled the economy of Gaza, where unemployment hovers near 50%, and residents are usually quick to blame Israel for the difficult conditions. But increasingly, families have begun to complain about Hamas’ leadership, citing the high taxes, its heavy-handed rule and a growing stream of leaders, including its supreme leader Ismail Haniyeh, who have moved abroad to more comfortable places with their families.”
Even if Reuters’ reporter failed to find anyone prepared to criticize Hamas, the least he could do was add the relevant context concerning the reasons behind the Israeli/Egyptian blockade and Hamas’ responsibility for governing the Gaza Strip.
Sometimes it’s only when one media outlet includes the context that it becomes obvious what another has missed. In this particular case, Reuters has clearly failed.
