Hours after Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip launched some 10 rockets towards the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, United Press International’s Adam Schrader published an article on humanitarian hardships facing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, placing all blame on Israel (“Nearly 35,000 Palestinians dead as Gaza faces dueling [sic] famine, sanitation crisis”).
Without sharing a single word about Hamas’ deadly attack, in which the terror organization that very day killed four soldiers and injured at least eight more near the crossing, Schrader intones: “Palestinians face dueling [sic] famine and sanitation crises because of Israel’s actions amid the war,” and cites alleged Israeli responsibility for “blocking, delaying and restricting essential supplies.”
Hamas manipulates the humanitarian situation to further their terror goals.
Not only did Hamas shoot 10 rockets towards Kerem Shalom – the main aid crossing, but they did so approx. 350 meters from civilian shelters.
Hamas systematically exploits humanitarian facilities and… pic.twitter.com/FgkuNBqZHK
— COGAT (@cogatonline) May 5, 2024
Contrary to standard journalistic norms, Schrader included not one Israeli response to any of the allegations from Doctors Without Borders, World Food Program, and the scandal-ridden UNRWA charging Israel with singular responsibility for humanitarian hardships in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, a separate UPI article the nexty day touched on events at the Kerem Shalom crossing, while misreporting its location and still ignoring Hamas’ fatal attack (“Israel strikes targets in Rafah, says cease-fire deal accepted by Hamas is inadequate“). Reporters Paul Godfrey and Don Jacobson erred: “Washington said Netanyahu agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing in northern Gaza would remain open for humanitarian assistance for those in need.” (Emphasis added.)
The Kerem Shalom crossing is in southern Gaza, next to Rafah, not in northern Gaza. CAMERA contacted UPI to notify editors about the geographic error and to point out that, significantly, the Kerem Shalom crossing was closed on Sunday, when Hamas fired 10 rockets towards it, killing four Israeli soldiers and wounding at least eight more. Hamas claimed responsibility for this deadly attack, which UPI had yet to acknowledge.
Top L-R: Sgt. Michael Ruzal and Staff Sgt. Ruben Marc Mordechai Assouline; bottom L-R: Staff Sgt. Ido Testa and Staff Sgt. Tal Shavit, killed in a Hamas rocket attack near Kerem Shalom, May 5, 2024. (Courtesy via Times of Israel)
To their credit, UPI editors promptly amended yesterday’s article by Godfrey and Jacobson, correcting Kerem Shalom’s location, and for the first time reporting Hamas’ attack on the crossing from a day earlier. The amended text now accurately reports:
Washington said Netanyahu agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza would remain open for humanitarian assistance for those in need.
The crossing had been closed after four Israeli soldiers were killed and 10 more were injured in a rocket attack that Hamas claimed responsibility for.
Hamas’ May 5 attack on Kerem Shalom brings the total number of Israeli military fatalities from the ground assault against Hamas to 267, a figure that UPI does not report. Regarding Hamas’ dubious figure for fatalities on the Gaza side, UPI reports:
The latest figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry show that in the 24-hour period to Sunday, 29 Palestinians were killed and 110 injured, bringing the total number killed since the start of the current conflict in October to 34,683 with another 78,018 injured.
May 8 Update: UPI’s article was corrected on Yahoo as well.