Merkel defends Israel’s response to October 7, highlighting Hamas’s use of human shields
Findings are available in the analysis below.2 findings
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The Jewish Chronicle reports Angela Merkel's podcast interview and, in its own narration, calls the devastation of Gaza's population a consequence of Hamas's attack, never naming Israel as the actor or saying that Israel killed anyone. It also calls the attention to Israel's conduct in Gaza extraordinary in its own voice, adopting Merkel's complaint as its premise.
Hides who did it
Serious
“despite the devastating consequences of its attack for the territory’s own population”
Why this matters
In its own voice the outlet calls the devastation in Gaza a consequence of Hamas's attack, and names no one who carried it out.
The impression it gives
That Gaza's population was devastated by Hamas's attack, not by Israel's assault on Gaza.
The context
Gaza's health ministry records the Israeli occupation as having killed 74,392 Palestinians, and the UN Commission of Inquiry found Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. The article never says that Israel killed anyone.
How we know
On the recordGaza's Ministry of Health recorded the Israeli occupation as having killed 74,392 Palestinians, a cumulative toll that NewsCord's reading of BBC coverage cites as of October 2026.newscord.org (opens in a new tab)
On the recordThe UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry found, on 16 September 2025, that Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip.ohchr.org (opens in a new tab)
Written straight
Merkel said few people in Gaza had criticised Hamas, despite Israel's assault, which Gaza's health ministry says has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians.
Uses a loaded word
Minor
“the extraordinary attention devoted to Israel’s conduct in Gaza”
Why this matters
The outlet calls the attention to Israel's conduct "extraordinary" in its own voice, adopting Merkel's complaint as its premise.
The impression it gives
That media attention to Gaza is excessive as a matter of fact.
The context
This is Merkel's argument. Tracking of major outlets found Gaza coverage fell by about three quarters after the October 2025 ceasefire while Israeli attacks continued.
How we know
On the recordNewsCord tracked Gaza coverage across major outlets and found Western mainstream output fell by about three quarters after the October 2025 ceasefire was declared, while Israeli attacks and the recorded Palestinian death toll continued.newscord.org (opens in a new tab)