AP Amends Captions, Adding Palestinian Killed By Troops Had Attacked Soldier

November 21, 2022

In response to communication from CAMERA’s Israel office, the Associated Press today commendably amended incomplete captions which had initially only stated that Palestinian Haitham Shuham was shot dead by Israeli troops while failing to report why. AP’s Nov. 19 captions had initially neglected to note that troops fatally shot the 17-year-old dead after he smashed a hammer into a soldier’s face, wounding him. Several of the multiple captions which had erased the fatality’s violent attack which led to his own death follow:

 

Mourners carry the body of Palestinian Haitham Shuman, 17 years old, into the family home in the West Bank city of Beitunia, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that Israeli forces shot and killed Haitham near the village of Beitin, in the occupied West Bank on September 8, 2022 and detained his body after. Israel released the body last Friday. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

 

Kifah Shadeed, takes the last look at her son Haitham Shuman’s body laid at his bed in the family home in the West Bank city of Beitunia, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that Israeli forces shot and killed Haitham near the village of Beitin, in the occupied West Bank on September 8, 2022 and detained his body after. Israel released the body last Friday. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

 

Kifah Shadeed, cries after taking the last look at her son Haitham Shuman, 17 while he is laid at his bed in the family home, in the West Bank city of Beitunia, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that Israeli forces shot and killed Haitham near the village of Beitin, in the occupied West Bank on September 8, 2022 and detained his body after. Israel released the body last Friday. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

The fact that Shuman attacked and wounded a soldier, hitting him in the face with a hammer, was widely reported at the time, including by the AP itself. On Sept. 8, AP reported (“Palestinian teen shot dead after wounding Israeli soldier“:
Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank on Thursday after the military said he hit a soldier in the face with a hammer. . . .
The military said the soldier was lightly wounded during the confrontation in the West Bank. It said the Palestinian was carrying a hammer as well as a knife, and circulated pictures of both. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the deceased as Haitham Mubarak, 17. It did not provide any further information.
As reported by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, Shuham was a Fatah operative, and the organization issued a bulletin upon his death claiming him as “our heroic shahid” (at left).
Following CAMERA’s communication with AP, editors today amended the captions to include the fact that Shuham wounded a soldier with a hammer. The amended captions, under the prominent heading “ADDITION ISRAEL PALESTINIANS” now state:
CAPTION ADDITION – ADDS COMMENT FROM ISRAELI ARMY – Mourners carry the body of Palestinian Haitham Shuman, 17 years old, into the family home in the West Bank city of Beitunia, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that Israeli forces shot and killed Haitham near the village of Beitin, in the occupied West Bank on Sept. 8, 2022 and detained his body. Israel released the body last Friday. The Israeli army said Shuman attacked a soldier with a hammer before he was shot and killed. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
CAMERA commends the news agency for adding this essential information.

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