CNN fails to retract story after falsely blaming Israel for death caused by Hamas rocket

Bob | 4:10 PM on November 19, 2012

Incompetently made Hamas rockets have fallen into Gaza 100 or more times, and as Twitchy noted earlier today, one of these homemade weapons is the most likely cause of death of a four-year old Palestinian boy named Mohammed Sadallah.

Mahmoud Sadallah

Several days ago CNN blamed an Israeli airstrike for Sadallah’s death. Today, it included the following text in the middle of an article about Hamas:

Israel also said Sunday that it was not to blame for the death of a Palestinian child last week — a 4-year-old boy whose lifeless body was kissed by Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Kandil during his visit to a Gaza hospital Friday.

CNN visited the child’s home, which neighbors said had been bombed five hours previously. Neighbors and family members told CNN they heard an aircraft before the explosion.

But the Israeli military told CNN on Sunday it did not carry out any airstrikes at the time of the child’s death. The IDF said had stopped its attacks for Kandil’s visit, raising questions about what caused the fatal blast. One possibility could be the misfire of a Hamas rocket intended for Israel, since CNN’s crew in Gaza said it saw two such rockets passing overhead — apparently fired not far from where the boy lived.

Blogger Elder of Ziyon notes, “CNN here does not admit that they reported the accusation as fact and still pretends that there is still a good chance that the child and neighbor were killed by an Israeli airstrike. Slightly more accurate; but no indication of regret for a slander.”

CNN has yet to retract Sara Sidner’s video blaming Israel for the boy’s death.