Donald Trump‘s White House press secretary has launched a blistering attack on the BBC. Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday (June 3) accused the broadcaster of accepting Hamas‘s account of Israeli security forces shooting Palestinians dead as they waited for food aid to be distributed in Gaza.
She told a press briefing that US officials were trying to determine what happened then lashed out at the BBC, saying: “Unfortunately, unlike some in the media, we don’t take the word of Hamas with total truth.” Ms Leavitt claimed: “We like to look into it when they speak… unlike the BBC.”
Mr Trump’s press secretary then held up a piece of paper which appeared to show articles published on the broadcaster’s website and pointed out that the headlines had changed.
She said one report claimed an Israeli tank killed 26, then another said the death toll was 21 and a third reported gunfire claiming the lives of 31 people.
Ms Leavitt added: “And then, oh, wait, they had to correct and take down their entire story, saying we reviewed the footage and couldn’t find any evidence of anything.”
The White House official said the Trump administration would look into reports before confirming them or take action, urging journalists “who actually care about the truth” do the same to reduce how much misinformation circulates around the world.
The BBC has been approached for comment.
Palestinian health officials and witnesses said Israeli forces fired on people as they headed towards an aid distribution hub in Gaza on Tuesday, killing at least 27.
Israel’s army said it fired near a few individual suspects who left a designated route, approached its forces and ignored warning shots.
Near-daily shootings have happened after an Israeli and US-backed foundation established aid distribution points inside Israeli military zones, in a system aimed at cutting out Hamas.
The United Nations has rejected the new system, saying it doesn’t address Gaza’s mounting hunger crisis and allows Israel to use aid as a weapon.
In a statement, Israeli army spokesperson Effie Defrin said the numbers of casualties published by Hamas were exaggerated, but the incident was under investigation.
He said the army was not preventing Palestinians in Gaza from reaching aid in the distribution areas, but rather allowing it.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which operates the sites, said there has been no violence in or around them.
On Tuesday, it acknowledged that the Israeli military was investigating whether civilians were wounded “after moving beyond the designated safe corridor and into a closed military zone” in an area “well beyond” its “secure” distribution site.
A spokesperson for the group said it was saddened to learn that a number of civilians were injured and killed after moving beyond the designated safe corridor.
