An Associated Press (AP) Hezbollah story published Wednesday August 6 demonstrates the AP’s continued willingness to parrot terrorist propaganda. In its report on “the human toll of Israel’s exploding-pagers attack targeting Hezbollah,” the AP relied on Hezbollah’s own public relations team to connect reporters with alleged “victims” of the September 2024 strike.
Of the six people interviewed, only one admitted to being a Hezbollah fighter. The rest included women, children, and a so-called “preacher” who taught lessons to Hezbollah members and was blinded when his pager exploded. “It was not immediately clear why he had one,” the AP noted, without challenging why a civilian religious teacher possessed a terrorist’s device.
One such “victim,” 23-year-old Hezbollah terrorist Mahdi Sheri, was preparing to fire rockets at Israel when his pager detonated. He lamented that he “can no longer play football” and that it was “impossible now to find a role alongside Hezbollah fighters.” The AP described these injuries as tragic, while admitting Hezbollah confirmed “most of those wounded and killed” were its own fighters.
In its attempt to humanize Hezbollah members, the AP glossed over the group’s history of using civilians, including children in its Hezbollah Scouts, to support terrorism. Two women interviewed were wounded by devices belonging to their Hezbollah relatives—one photographed next to a portrait of terror leader Hassan Nasrallah. The AP concluded with emotional appeals while ignoring that these injuries resulted from direct ties to a terrorist group.
