On July 5^th, Hamas terrorists threw grenades at a food distribution site managed by the American-sponsored Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), wounding two American aid workers. Hamas has placed a bounty on the GHF’s security personnel, as well as its aid workers, some of whom are local Gazans. Moreover, videos on social media show Hamas thugs beating Gazans, shooting their legs and even murdering Palestinians who dare accept GHF food.

Clearly, Hamas is desperate to prevent the GHF from providing free food to hungry Gazans, since the group’s operation mortally threatens Hamas’s immensely profitable black market. The terrorists steal food aid, keep supplies for themselves, then put the remainder on local markets at exorbitant prices.

Mainstream media coverage of Hamas’s outrages against its own people has been rare to non-existent. Instead, legacy media promote the false narrative that the GHF is—in the words of the Hamas’s Gaza media office—a “filthy tool” used by Israeli forces to “lure civilians into death traps.”

Several media outlets have published reports of innocent Gazans waiting for food at distribution sites being massacred by GHF security personnel and Israeli soldiers. Yet, the GHF and IDF strenuously deny firing on Gaza aid-seekers, nor has any footage or other evidence of such massacres turned up.

Hamas is demanding an end to GHF operations and a return to the previous system of corrupt aid distribution. By publishing blood libels and falsehoods about the GHF’s aid efforts, legacy media are simply Hamas mouthpieces advocating return to a system in which the Islamist terrorist group stole the majority of humanitarian aid meant for ordinary Gazans.

Hamas is determined to thwart efforts of the GHF to feed hungry Gazans. Last week, the U.S. State Department confirmed a Washington Free Beacon report that Hamas is targeting GHF workers with threats and violence. Hamas is also targeting anyone who dares receive free food from the GHF. The terrorist group issued a statement, saying, “Anyone who cooperates with the occupation in imposing its agenda will pay the price, and we will take the necessary measures against them.”

The July 5^th attack that injured two GHF aid workers was hardly a one-off. Last month, Hamas attacked a bus full of Palestinian aid workers killing at least eight people. As of July 1^st, the GHF reported that 12 of its personnel have been murdered. Furthermore, Gazan aid-seekers have testified that Hamas fires at residents near aid distribution sites and spreads false claims about IDF fire. COGAT, the body responsible for implementing Israeli government policy in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) and Gaza has also said that Hamas “fabricated data about large numbers of casualties.”

Such misinformation published by mainstream media promotes Hamas’s threatening narrative that the GHF food distribution system is, in the words of one UN official quoted by the BBC, “a death trap”—the same term used by Hamas.

Legacy media implicate the GHF and Israel for massacring hungry Gazans. Media outlets such as the Washington Post, Associated Press, CNN, New York Times, and BBC have cited claims, since disproven, of dozens of Palestinians at a time being killed near the GHF distribution sites.

In early June, for example, the Washington Post published an article with the headline, “Israeli troops kill over 30 near U.S. aid site, health officials say.” Yet, the IDF, supported by independent drone footage and U.S. assessments, maintained that this figure was significantly inflated. The Post was eventually forced to issue a correction, saying “the article didn’t meet Post fairness standards,” and admitting they failed to properly indicate that the casualty numbers were unverified Health Ministry figures.

The fact that the Post relied on information from “health officials” should immediately cause suspicion, since all government “officials” work for the Hamas rulers of Gaza. In fact, the source of casualty figures for many stories about “massacres” at or near GHF cites is Mahmoud Basel, the head of Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defense organization, who has also been identified as a Hamas operative by the IDF.

When legacy media rely on Hamas for facts, they will inevitably be regurgitating a Hamas narrative—one whose aim is to defame and discredit the GHF and IDF.

The Associated Press also promoted the Hamas narrative when it published an article with the headline, “U.S. contractors say their colleagues are firing live ammo as Palestinians seek food in Gaza.” As evidence, one of the contractors supplied videos showing “hundreds of Palestinians crowded between metal gates, jostling for aid amid the sounds of bullets, stun grenades and the sting of pepper spray.” However, no sources quoted in the story could point to a verifiable instance of a GHF worker shooting a Palestinian.

The GHF responded to this report by saying, “Based on time-stamped video footage and sworn witness statements, we have concluded that the claims in the AP’s story are categorically false.” The GHF claimed that the main source for the story was a “disgruntled former contractor who was terminated for misconduct weeks before this article was published,” adding that AP’s “coverage of our aid operations has increasingly echoed narratives advanced by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health.” The GHF is now taking legal action against AP.

Mainstream media promote Hamas goals: A return to the former UN-sponsored aid distribution system by which Hamas appropriated humanitarian aid to fund its operations, rather than passing it directly to intended recipients—hungry Gazans. Why else would media choose to publish false, unverified reports of aid-seeking Gazans being massacred?

Equally important: Why do media choose to ignore Hamas efforts to thwart GHF aid operations when they threaten, attack and kill GHF personnel, not to mention brutally murder innocent Palestinians?

Please make the point when speaking with family, friends, colleagues—or in letters to the editor—that legacy media have become press officers for Hamas propaganda, whose goal is to keep the terrorists in power and discredit Israel, even at the cost of depriving Gazans of free humanitarian food aid and pushing them to starvation.

If you agree we need to spread this truth, please use your email browser to forward this Hotline issue to fellow lovers of Israel—and encourage them to join us by subscribing to the Hotline at no charge.

Best regards,
Jason Shvili, Contributing Editor
Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME)

P.S.      I’m sure you’d agree: If your enemy says they want to kill you and take your land, you’d :be smart to believe them. If you try to make peace, but they refuse all your offers and continue to make murderous threats, it’s time to eliminate this enemy. Israel has faced exactly this danger with the Palestinians—yet continued to hope for peace . . . until Hamas’s October 7 massacre and kidnappings. Finally, Israel and many lovers of Israel are facing reality. They’ve concluded their futile dreams of peace must end. They must finally defeat their Palestinian enemies—starting with Hamas and other jihadi terrorists. I hope you’ll agree that we supporters of the Israel-U.S. relationship need to speak out. FLAME’s new hasbarah—explanatory message—“End of the Palestinian Lie”—describes how Israel and the West have for 77 years bought the myth that the Palestinians want peace. It details the many offers of land for peace Israel, the U.N. and the U.S. have made to give Palestinians their own state—all refused. Finally, it explains why Israel must adopt a bold new strategy—disarming, disabling and defeating Hamas and all other terror groups that attack Israeli civilians. Please review this convincing, fact-based editorial, which FLAME intends to publish to millions—in leading social media, as well as in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Tampa Bay Times, Denver Post and Los Angeles Times. This piece will also be sent to all members of Congress, the President and Vice President. If you agree that this kind of public relations effort on Israel’s behalf is critical, I urge you to support us with a donation.

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