BBC News coverage of terrorism in Israel – July 2018

Monthly review of BBC News website coverage of terrorism against Israelis.

The Israel Security Agency’s report on terror attacks (Hebrew) during July 2018 shows that throughout the month a total of 255 incidents took place: 70 in Judea & Samaria, 11 in Jerusalem and 174 in the Gaza Strip sector.

In Judea & Samaria and Jerusalem the agency recorded 65 attacks with petrol bombs (eleven of which were in Jerusalem), eleven attacks using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), two shooting attacks two arson attacks and one stabbing attack.

Attacks recorded in the Gaza Strip sector included 93 attacks with petrol bombs, one shooting attack and two sniper shooting attacks, 6 attacks using IEDs and two grenade attacks. 67 separate incidents of rocket and mortar fire were recorded, with 118 launches.

Two Israelis were killed and seven wounded in attacks that took place during July.

On July 20thStaff Sgt. Aviv Levi was shot and killed by a sniper located in the Gaza Strip. The BBC News website reported that incident. On July 26th Yotam Ovadia was murdered and two other civilians wounded in a stabbing attack in Geva Binyamin (Adam) which was covered on the BBC News website.

On July 13th a soldier was injured in a grenade attack at the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip – that attack went unreported by the BBC. On July 14th three civilians were wounded by rockets launched from the Gaza Strip. On July 25th a soldier was wounded in a shooting attack at the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip. That incident did not receive coverage on the BBC News website.

BBC News website coverage of rocket and mortar attacks launched from the Gaza Strip was as follows:

July 14th/15th: Gaza missile attacks get 44 words on the BBC News website

July 20th: BBC News website reports fatal ‘gunshot’, fails to identify perpetrator

July 25th/26th: no coverage of missile fire.

As we see the BBC News website reported one sniper shooting incident and one stabbing attack as well as two separate rounds of rocket fire. At the very most it can therefore be said that BBC News website audiences saw coverage of around 24% of the terror attacks which took place during July.

Since the beginning of 2018 the BBC has reported under 20% of the terror attacks that have taken place and 87.5% of the resulting fatalities.

Related Articles:

BBC News coverage of terrorism in Israel – June 2018

BBC’s dual standards on terror attacks continue

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