The IDF said Thursday that an internal inquiry found that 1,166 people were killed in the three-week offensive that ended in January. It said 709 were Hamas militants, and just under 300 people, including 89 children aged 16 and 49 women, were civilians.These numbers are rather different from the Palestinian ones that were quoted world-wide and are by now etched in stone and won't be dislodged.
According to the military, it is unclear clear whether an additional 162 men who died were militants or civilians.
It's possible they're both wrong; it's not possible they're both right. You might perhaps expect respectable media outlets to try to get to the bottom of the matter, and figure out what the truth is - but I can't say why you might expect that.
2 comments:
Haaretz isn't sloppy this time. These are two different reports: one produced by the IDF intelligence reserch unit, and one by the mod's liason office.
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasite/spages/1074208.html
f you missed it on 3/25, L.A.Times Bureau Chief Richard Boudreaux, in his piece "Israeli army rabbis criticized for stance on Gaza assault," made the following statement, "Most Palestinian casualties were listed as civilians." I've ignored the Journalism 101 error of "most" and written the Times to challenge its unsourced claim cloaked in a passive construction. We'll see if - contrary to the paper's history with me - it has the integrity to print my letter.
Post a Comment