On March 18, Israel launched a large-scale assault on Gaza, killing over 412 Palestinians and injuring more than 500, while Western media uncritically echoed Israel’s claim of “targeting Hamas.” Rather than exposing the massacre, coverage downplayed the death toll, delayed key facts, and framed the attacks as justified pressure on Hamas—further highlighting the double standard in valuing Palestinian lives.
In the early hours of March 18, Israel launched a widespread indiscriminate bombardment in different areas of Gaza, killing over 412 displaced Palestinians and injuring over 500 within a span of 30 minutes. At least 52 locations were targeted by midday according to Le Monde. In any other situation, such an event would be described as a massacre and widely condemned, but how was it covered by most Western media?
Adopting Israeli Claims of “Hamas Targets " Without Questioning
Western media largely echos the Israeli justifications. Without verification or questioning of the Israeli claims that they were “strikes against Hamas" or "Hamas targets in Gaza," breaking news and headlines were published. Even as the death toll rose and numerous footage from the ground and local sources documented the aftermath of the attacks and their victims—panicked women and children being rescued, hospitals inundated with bodies and injured survivors—Western media continued to echo Israel’s claims without scrutiny. So, is killing and injuring almost 1000 people acceptable if the claim is to attack an "enemy"? According to international law, that is a war crime.
Delaying Facts Under the Pretext of “Confirmation’
Footage from the ground clearly showed the devastation, fires engulfing the flammable tents, people desperately trying to rescue those trapped inside, and hospitals filling up with bodies and the injured—130 of the victims were children, according to medical workers. Yet, much of the mainstream Western media were reluctant to accept the killings as fact, choosing instead to delay reporting the figures and scale of the tragedy.
Obscuring the Death Toll to Reduce Urgency or Sympathy
Even after almost 12 hours, most Western media coverage and headlines failed to mention the actual number of casualties. This omission reduces the gravity of the massacre in question, diminishing the sense of urgency or public outrage that it could elicit.
Adopting the Israeli Narrative, Blaming Hamas to Justify Attacks
Rather than scrutinising today’s (March 18) massacres, much of Western media's coverage normalised the killings as a form of pressure on Hamas to accept Israel’s new conditions. (The New York Times headline: With Talks Stalled, Israel Puts War Back on the Table)
The difficulty Palestinians are facing since the ceasefire began in Gaza has been framed primarily in the context of Hamas causing this by refusing a new ceasefire deal with Israel. Instead of scrutinising Israeli actions and statements, these media uncritically adopted Israel’s narrative, placing the blame on Hamas. This narrative ignores the fact that Israel deviated from the previously agreed-upon three-stage plan and proposed new ceasefire conditions. This narrative shifts focus towards portraying Hamas as the instigator “provoking” these attacks by not agreeing to Israel's new conditions, when in fact it is Israel (not Hamas) that was not respecting the agreed deal.
Israel announced the suspension of all humanitarian aid to the devastated and besieged Strip on March 2, blocking desperately needed essential goods. Even before that, the aid entering Gaza was only a fraction of the agreed-upon amount.
Additionally, Israel cut electricity and fuel supply to the Strip, which is crucial for water desalination, purification, and pumping, worsening the humanitarian crisis. This is a continuation of Israel's blockade of humanitarian aid and the systematic deprivation of essential resources that are needed in Gaza since 2007, and especially after the relentless bombardment and widespread destruction of the Strip.
Double Standard in Human Value and Sympathy
Rather than highlighting the sheer number of Palestinians that were killed and injured in an instant on March 18, the Western mainstream media focused on the dangers the Israeli captives still held in Gaza are facing as a result of the bombardment. Their reports and stories never fail to remind their readers or viewers of October 7 and the Israeli casualties of that day. Their selective and unequal representation of victims—who are worthy of being treated as victims, mourned, remembered, and humanised—reflects both a colonial supremacy mindset and their submission to the power dynamics.
The reporting on the March 18 massacre shed light on a painful truth: in much of the Western mainstream media, Palestinian lives continue to be valued much less than Israeli ones.
Misleading Framings and Terminologies
The Western mainstream media coverage and headlines used terminologies that adopt Israel’s narrative, using terminologies like “strikes against Hamas" (Associated Press), which framed the attacks as justified military operations to eliminate Hamas.
Even when Palestinian casualties were mentioned, they were downplayed with phrases such as “at least 300 dead” (The Guardian), devoid of any sympathy towards the victims’ deaths. Employing language that distances the reader from the human impact of Israeli attacks.
In addition, many headlines used terms such as "resuming" the genocide/war and "fragile ceasefire" without telling their readers about the more than 1000 violations and the killing of 120+ Palestinians since the January 19 ceasefire deal was agreed. Terminologies that imply that the Israeli violence was paused before the attacks today. However, the footage of Palestinians reporting from the ground clearly shows that the bombing and killing never stopped.
Using Misleading Headlines:
The Associated Press (AP)—which claims journalistic integrity in its legal battle with the White House—immediately published a misleading breaking news report stating that Israel "launches new strikes against Hamas and promises increasing military force." Adopting the Israeli government's statement as fact and implying that the strikes were against "Hamas targets," not indiscriminate civilian killings.
CNN ran the story under the title, "Gaza's fragile truce may have been shattered," which delibratly obscures the identity of the perpetrator and downplays the scale of the crime and its humanitarian toll.
And as for BBC, following its controversial decision to remove a documentary, Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone that showed Israeli war crimes, it also aligned itself entirely with the Israeli narrative, describing the brutal and indiscriminate attacks on Gaza’s civilians as "new strikes against Hamas."
Since January 19, the Western mainstream media had ample time to reflect on its biased coverage of the genocide in Gaza. Their journalistic and ethical malpractice has become glaringly evident since October 7 to its viewers and readers. Yet, as soon as the attacks resumed, the same journalistic malpractices reappeared, uncritically echoing Israel’s narrative and downplaying the ongoing atrocities. This reinforces the urgency to continue to be vigilant and monitor and expose this media distortion.
