Tag Archives: Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)

Lied To Again

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On Thursday, The Washington Free Beacon posted an article about Abdul Rahim “Abood” Muhammad Hamden, eight-year-old boy who was reportedly killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) site.

The article reports:

A Gazan boy alleged to have been killed by the Israeli military is alive and has been safely evacuated from Gaza with his mother, according to video footage and new reports—contradicting the allegations promoted by commentator Tucker Carlson and Senators Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.).

The eight-year-old boy, who was misidentified as “Amir” but whose real name is Abdul Rahim “Abood” Muhammad Hamden, appeared alongside his mother in a video interview with a translator asking questions provided by Fox News. The boy smiled as he talked about looking forward to his and his mother’s then-upcoming extraction from Gaza, saying, “Outside the Gaza Strip is nice,” according to a translation verified by the outlet. The boy and his mother are now in a secure, undisclosed location outside Gaza, according to Fox News.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) also confirmed in a Thursday announcement that the boy is “alive and safe” and condemned the false allegations. “We are overjoyed and deeply relieved that Abood is safe, and that this story ends in hope,” GHF executive chairman Johnnie Moore said. “Too many people, including in the press and civil society, were quick to spread unverified claims without asking the most basic questions.”

Tony Aguilar, an ex-contractor for the GHF, made national headlines this summer when he claimed in several media appearances that the Israel Defense Forces had shot and killed Hamden in May, as the boy sought aid at a GHF site.

The article concludes:

Tucker Carlson, a conservative-host-turned-vocal-critic-of-Israel, had Aguilar on his show in an interview released July 31. Carlson was “nodding solemnly” as Aguilar claimed Israel had killed the boy, Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) wrote in an X post Thursday.

Sanders and Van Hollen also pushed Aguilar’s story, even after the IDF and GHF denied the claims. In late July, Van Hollen met with Aguilar and released a recording of their conversation, while Sanders featured Aguilar’s testimony in a video titled “Former U.S. Special Ops: What I Saw in Gaza.”

Be careful who you listen to for Middle East news.

Food As A Weapon

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On Friday, Breitbart posted an article about an apology issued by MSNBC. Fake news can result in serious consequences, and the story originally put out by MSNBC was misleading and dangerous.

The article reports:

MSNBC issued an on-air correction on Morning Joe Friday after Middle East correspondent Matt Bradley falsely reported Palestinians had been killed in Gaza while waiting for aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

On Thursday, Bradley had been introducing a video package about “controversial aid sites” run by GHF in Gaza. It was the latest in a series of mainstream media efforts to discredit the organization, which is currently the main provider of food aid in Gaza, distributing 2 to 3 million meals a day.

The United Nations and Hamas both oppose GHF because it undermines their role and power in Gaza.

Bradley’s report repeated familiar, and false, accusations that GHF is dangerous for Palestinians, and went even further than others had gone, targeting GHF executive chairman Rev. Dr. Johnnie Moore because of his “evangelical Christian ideology” and his alleged “somewhat messianic perspective on Israel.”

In introducing the report, Bradley said: “We’re still seeing massive numbers of casualties every single day. And actually, a lot of those folks are killed, and have been killed, waiting in line for much-needed food being distributed by a U.S.-backed organization that has attracted a lot of criticism and a lot of scrutiny. This effort just had its bloodiest day two days ago, when around 60 people were shot dead while waiting in line.”

As Breitbart News has noted, such reports have been false: no deaths or injuries have ever taken place at GHF aid distribution sides. Hamas and others opposed to GHF have spread fake news in an effort to discredit the organization; mainstream media outlets have often repeated these claims, only to retract them later.

Misreporting like this only makes the situation in Gaza worse. Hamas and the United Nations have used the scarcity of food to control the population. The GHF food is a threat to that control.

Aeschylus is credited with saying, “In war, truth is the first casualty.” That is especially true in Middle East reporting.