Israel and many other nations were rightly outraged when Hamas bombarded, slaughtered and kidnapped innocent people in a surprise attack on Israeli territory on Oct. 7, and those responsible for the killings should be brought to justice at the International Court of Crime (ICC).  

The Israeli government has the responsibility to protect its citizens, but the war it is waging has only proved it is not just seeking reprisals but is executing a scorched-earth policy in Gaza, turning a blind eye to the United Nations resolutions and the international humanitarian law. Israel’s air strikes have pounded Gaza daily, targeting civilian objects like hospitals and residential areas, and killing thousands of innocent people, including women and children.

As Israel intends to uproot over a million Palestinians from their homeland in Gaza, the Western media is building a narrative that Israel’s acts are justified for self-defense.

As the Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, put it, “History for some media and politicians starts when Israelis are killed.”

The media coverage of the war in Gaza now is dominated by Western outlets, whose owners seem to be dictated by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As media organizations are in command of global news, people around the world cannot help but depend on the often one-sided reports and information, which is often disinformation.

The Indonesian public does not know what is happening on the ground in Gaza. A private TV channel is trying to offer on-site information through a staffer of an Indonesian hospital in Gaza. However, as he is not a journalist and his access to primary sources is limited, we cannot expect much from such a report. 

It is safe to say that when people off the battlefield access information and analysis regarding the war, this information tends to have a bias that favors Israel. Giant media groups have faced constant criticism for acting as propaganda machines for Israel and its supporters, rather than as true messengers.

The Western media always claims to uphold the basics of good journalism. But their prejudice against Hamas and the privilege they give to Israel, as if the Jewish state can do no wrong, show their partiality to Israel. They were even inclined to favor Israel from the beginning.

The London-based BBC has acknowledged the imbalanced news coverage of the war. “We received complaints from people who feel that our reporting of the conflict has been biased against Israel and complaints from those who think it has been biased against the Palestinians.”

During an interview, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom Husam Zomlot spoke to the BBC about the double standards regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Western media coverage, including at the BBC. Zomlot said there was a tendency among the Western media to focus on Israel's suffering while ignoring the decades-long violence Israel has committed against the Palestinian people.

Some media groups try hard to provide impartial, balanced reports from Gaza, but the Israeli military and the West know very well how to keep the global community from reliable information from the ground. 

It is worth noting that the Press Council has called on Indonesian media to adhere to the journalistic principles and code of ethics, including the obligation to verify information amid the circulation of fake news, especially on social media. The council specifically appealed to the media to avoid labeling and stigmatization, such as the Western media calling Hamas a terrorist group.

Indonesia is a constant supporter of Palestine’s independence and of diplomacy to realize a two-state solution. The media can contribute to the restoration of peace, which will pave the way for the dream settlement.