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Islamic Jihad, an Iran-funded terrorist group based in Gaza, has taken responsibility for the death of a baby who was killed in Gaza over the weekend.
The Jerusalem Post reported:
"A leak from the heroes of the [Islamic Jihad's] Sarayat al-Quds (Jerusalem Brigades) on the circumstances of the death of the baby Saba Abu 'Arar indicates that a rocket of the resistance exploded inside the family's home due to a technical failure, and prematurely exploded," a news item by Hamas' al-Risala News said.
"There is a claim that the technical failure was caused by low-grade explosives in the rocket," it added. "There is no doubt that the baby's death has nothing to do with the enemy's [Israel's] planes."
News outlets across the world originally blamed Israel for the baby's death, with some even citing the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry as their source. Here's a sample of the outlets and legacy media journalists that got it wrong.
CNN:
250 rockets fired from Gaza at Israel; 1-year old child among those killed in retaliatory airstrikes… https://t.co/mBHPHdl6iz— CNN (@CNN) 1557010027.0
The Washington Post's Middle East editor, Alan Sipress:
Fighting between Israel and Hamas has escalated, with reports that 6 Palestinians, including a baby, have been kill… https://t.co/q9yVcod3ue— Alan Sipress (@Alan Sipress) 1557059596.0
AFP:
Gaza militants fired some 200 rockets at Israel, which responded with strikes that killed a baby, her pregnant moth… https://t.co/CHCUS7K4RX— AFP news agency (@AFP news agency) 1556995020.0
AFP correspondent Joe Dyke:
Breaking: Palestinian baby killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza today, according to Gazan authorities— Joe (@Joe) 1556986163.0
NBC:
As Israel pounded Gaza with airstrikes, the Palestinian death toll rose to 22, including two pregnant women and two… https://t.co/JssA20Log0— NBC10 Boston (@NBC10 Boston) 1557103726.0
Al Jazeera:
Palestinian mother, baby killed in Israeli raids on Gaza https://t.co/s2GVnkUlXz https://t.co/08t0JxC792— Al Jazeera News (@Al Jazeera News) 1556998589.0
China's state-run China Daily:
Gaza militants fired dozens of rockets into Israel on Saturday, drawing a wave of Israeli air strikes that killed a… https://t.co/xLTMHfpVzg— China Daily (@China Daily) 1556996412.0
Another China state-run publication, CGTN America:
A four-month old Palestinian baby was among those killed over the weekend in the worst fighting between Israel and… https://t.co/mEvFdV3mqm— CGTN America (@CGTN America) 1557169815.0
Newsweek Pakistan:
Authorities in #Gaza report death of a pregnant Palestinian woman and her baby in Israeli airstrike, as #Israel for… https://t.co/tEbEIuGWlk— Newsweek Pakistan (@Newsweek Pakistan) 1557128698.0
The Daily Beast:
The death toll climbs in Israel-Gaza escalation. A pregnant woman and baby are among those killed https://t.co/7gq720CfQA— The Daily Beast (@The Daily Beast) 1557062406.0
Many of the aforementioned outlets completely ignored the fact that the Israeli Defense Forces denied the report as soon as it came out. Also, the IDF pointed directly to intelligence it had acquired of a failed rocket launch as the culprit.
Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas agreed to a ceasefire Monday after a weekend of that saw hundreds of indiscriminate rocket fire coming from Hamas, the jihadi group that rules the Gaza Strip.
At least four Israelis were killed by the rocket fire. Israel responded to the Hamas rocket campaign by launching several rounds of targeted airstrikes against Hamas leaders and their military facilities.
