ABC News has been forced to backtrack and apologize over a major – and incorrect – claim about Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The mainstream media outlet originally reported that the Israel Defense Forces had dropped inflammatory leaflets referring to themselves as “occupation forces,” but now they’re walking it all back. But why haven’t other outlets followed suit?
At a glance:
• ABC News retracted claims that the IDF dropped leaflets with “harrowing messages” in Gaza after failing to verify their authenticity
• The original report controversially labeled the IDF as “occupation forces” – terminology that was quietly removed
• Two reporters, including Israel correspondent Jordana Miller, were removed from the article’s byline after the retraction
• The alleged leaflets claimed that neither the US nor Europe cares about Gaza
• ABC News President recently claimed the outlet’s mission was “straightforward journalism” amid layoffs
Media Outlet Forces Major Retraction
ABC News has backtracked on its reporting that Israeli forces dropped controversial leaflets in Gaza. The news outlet was forced to issue an editor’s note after initially claiming Israel had distributed messages with inflammatory language to Palestinian civilians.
The retraction represents another example of mainstream media rushing to publish anti-Israel narratives without proper verification. ABC’s original article referred to the Israel Defense Forces using the politically-charged term “occupation forces,” language typically employed by anti-Israel activists and Hamas sympathizers.
The editor’s note stated bluntly: “An earlier version of this article said that the IDF had dropped leaflets with disturbing messaging. ABC News has not been able to confirm the authenticity of these leaflets. The IDF denies dropping these leaflets.”
Following the correction, ABC News made significant changes to its reporting staff on the story. Jordana Miller, their regular Israel correspondent who has previously exhibited bias against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was notably removed from the byline.
Changes Made Without Transparency
ABC News quietly removed the controversial “occupation forces” terminology without acknowledging this specific change in their editor’s note. This stealth revision suggests the outlet recognized the politically charged nature of the language but hoped to avoid drawing attention to its use.
The purported leaflets allegedly contained messages urging Gazans to evacuate areas and made provocative claims that neither the United States nor European nations care about Gaza’s residents. After the retraction, ABC completely re-centered the article to focus on IDF’s legitimate military operations in Gaza.
Tom Soufi Burridge, a France-based reporter who primarily covers Ukraine, was also removed from the article’s byline following the correction. Only David Brennan and Nadine El-Bawab remained credited for the revised story.
The embarrassing retraction comes at a particularly sensitive time for ABC News. The network’s President, Almin Karamehmedovic, recently declared that the outlet’s mission was to provide “straightforward journalism” following a round of layoffs.
This incident highlights the ongoing challenges conservative viewers face when seeking accurate reporting on Israel’s defensive war against Hamas terrorists. Many mainstream media outlets continue to frame the conflict using terminology and narratives that undermine Israel’s legitimate security operations.
