Washington Post retracts Gaza aid site story after failing to meet 'fairness standards'
The Washington Post admitted it didn't give proper weight to Israel's denial of involvement in the shooting, which the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has also denied.
The Washington Post on Tuesday filed a correction to a recent article claiming the IDF killed over 30 people near an aid site in Gaza, naming the source as 'health officials.'
The article, published Sunday and viewed over two million times before the correction, was changed because the Washington Post claimed it 'didn't meet Post fairness standards.'
According to a social media post on X/Twitter, the article 'failed to make clear if attributing the deaths to Israel was the position of the Gaza health ministry or a fact verified by The Post.'
Although the original article included statements from Israel, including an initial inquiry indicating IDF soldiers did not fire at civilians at the aid centers, the newspaper admitted it didn't 'give proper weight to Israel's denial and gave improper certitude about what was known about any Israeli role in the shootings.'
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution center in Rafah denied on Sunday claims that the IDF attacked a food distribution point near Rafah, contradicting widely circulated Hamas reports.
Security camera footage from Sunday's aid distribution site shows calm civilian activity, with no incidents reported. Aid was delivered without disruption, and the available evidence does not support claims of injuries or fatalities. While some media outlets have reported these allegations, others have contacted the organization to verify the facts, the GHF stated.
Following the incident, the GHF denied claims of casualties and injuries at the aid distribution sites. "All aid was distributed today without incident. No injuries or fatalities. We have heard that these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas. They are untrue and fabricated," GHF noted.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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