The Lack Of Coverage On Violations Of International Law Is Perhaps The Most Disturbing Trend In Media Reporting On Gaza

The Silencing of Gaza: How Media and Politics Shape Narratives of War.

In recent months, the brutal realities of the conflict in Gaza have been laid bare. However, the coverage of these events by mainstream media has sparked fierce criticism, raising uncomfortable questions about journalistic integrity and accountability. While the media’s core role is theoretically to scrutinise power, recent events reveal a troubling departure from this mission.

AG Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times, has argued that journalism’s purpose is to expose corruption and inequality. Yet, as Des Freedman of Declassified UK observes, this ideal has been significantly undermined in the recent coverage of Gaza. The role of mainstream media, from the BBC to The Guardian, has shifted from scepticism to passive acceptance, with much reporting echoing the language of military officials and political leaders. Instead of condemning—or even questioning—the relentless “precision air strikes” and bombings, much of the media has provided justification for this escalation, largely under the guise of Israel’s “right to self-defence.”

Erasing Palestinian Lives: Selective Reporting and Dehumanisation.

Mainstream media outlets have come under fire for selective reporting that marginalises Palestinian voices and sanitises violence against civilians. The language used in reporting has dehumanised Palestinians, diminishing their suffering while amplifying the perspectives of Israeli officials and sympathisers. This has normalised mass civilian casualties as acceptable collateral damage—an insidious act of language manipulation that obscures the profound human cost of war. The BBC, for example, ran stories that essentially republished statements from the Ministry of Defence, as British jets and frigates were deployed to the region to “bolster security” amidst tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths. While military support for Israel surged, reporting on the UK’s direct involvement remained largely celebratory, concealing the ramifications of Britain’s strategic support.

Critics argue that these gaps in coverage are not incidental but deliberate, contributing to a narrative that conceals the realities of Israeli occupation and military aggression. By ignoring the root causes of Palestinian resistance—decades of occupation, displacement, and systemic injustice—media narratives encourage a view that portrays Palestinians merely as antagonists, not as people with legitimate grievances and rights.

Discrediting the Critique: Political Interests and Media Control.

Beyond biased narratives, there’s a profound silence surrounding political influence within Western governments. Politicians like Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich openly discuss their intent to annex Palestinian territories and prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, yet this agenda receives minimal attention in mainstream media. Smotrich’s disturbing comments about the “justified and moral” starvation of millions in Gaza exemplify a rhetoric largely ignored by Western outlets.

The influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups on the political landscape is also noteworthy. Stuart Polak, a Conservative peer and president of the UK’s Conservative Friends of Israel, holds a prominent position in the House of Lords and receives substantial public funding. He actively promotes policies sympathetic to Israel, yet his role and influence remain relatively unchallenged, raising concerns about the impartiality of UK policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the United States, pro-Israel lobbying plays an outsized role in shaping policy, with members of Congress who vocally support Israel receiving millions in donations from pro-Israel donors. This financial influence steers political discourse and reinforces a pro-Israel stance, even when it directly contradicts human rights reports and international law.

A Global Silence: International Law and Unaddressed Atrocities.

The lack of coverage on violations of international law is perhaps the most disturbing trend in media reporting on Gaza. The Hannibal Directive, a controversial Israeli military policy allowing for extreme measures to prevent the capture of Israeli soldiers, was reportedly implemented during Hamas’s October 2023 attack. Testimonies reveal that this directive was issued with minimal information, raising civilian risks in Gaza, where Palestinian civilians were also being held in captivity. However, the coverage of this directive and its human rights implications has been sparse.

United Nations human rights experts have highlighted cases of extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and systematic humiliation of Palestinian detainees by Israeli soldiers. These violations—labelled as “egregious human rights abuses”—have received little to no coverage by Western media, and governments remain reluctant to address them publicly.

The Weaponisation of Media Silence.

While attention is drawn to the devastating conditions in Gaza, selective reporting shields powerful figures and governments from public accountability. This reporting obscures the political dynamics at play and omits coverage of direct military support for Israeli operations. The deployment of British and American forces in support of Israel, often framed as “bolstering security,” raises ethical questions that are left largely unexplored in the press.

Despite the grim realities, there is hope in the persistence of alternative media and the voices of activists and independent journalists who remain committed to truth. Their work serves as a reminder that holding power to account, rather than protecting it, is the true mission of journalism. Without such voices, the world risks losing a critical understanding of the human suffering unfolding in Gaza.

Ultimately, the world’s silence—or worse, complicity—bears responsibility for the escalation of violence and the erasure of Palestinian lives. Until mainstream media confronts its biases, dismantles its selective narratives, and tells the full story, the people of Gaza will continue to bear the brunt of one of the most profound injustices of our time.