New York Times Admits It 'Relied Too Heavily' On Hamas Claims For Gaza Hospital Coverage

The New York Times published on Monday an editors’ note acknowledging its coverage “relied too heavily on claims by Hamas,” in regards to an explosion at Gaza City’s al-Ahli hospital, admitting that their report “left readers with an incorrect impression about what was known and how credible the account was.”

On October 17, officials belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization had blamed an Israeli airstrike for an explosion at the hospital, saying there were over 500 casualties. Many media outlets, including the NYT, ran with the story before full vetting the details, often only citing the source as Palestinian health officials and not the designated terror group.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took its time to conduct a vigorous investigation of the incident, not wanting to rush to a conclusion, and in those hours the story went viral. The Israelis later exhibited evidence showing it was a failed rocket launch from Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terror group.

The Israeli assessment was later backed up by the United States, the EU, Canada, and others, including analysis and investigative pieces by the Wall Street Journal, CNN and the Associated Press. 

Furthermore, the American intelligence community said there could have been 100-300 people killed at the Al-Ahli Hospital, while the Europeans put the toll at 50 or less. But the damage was already done, with mass protests across the Arab world.