What the AP Left Out of a Report from Gaza

Although I am not employed by the Associated Press, I thought I’d make some editorial suggestions (adding relevant facts and context) for a brief report that appeared on the front page of my local paper today, under the headline “Gaza fishermen take to water again.” My notes on these passages are in italics.

“The frenzied shouts of an auctioneer at Gaza City’s main fishing port brought a welcome reprieve from the din of gunfire and explosions as life begins slowly returning to normal following 11 days of hostilities between Hamas and Israel” that were solely instigated by Hamas and in which Israel acted defensively.

“Israeli security forces prevented fishermen from sailing during the conflict” to prevent terrorist infiltration from the sea.

“Gazans take pride in their seafood, and the return of fishing buoyed hopes that the ceasefire will hold,” though Gazans know that the ceasefire, and thus their livelihoods, depends on their own leaders’ abstention from further rocket attacks.