ABC News sparked outrage this week after referring to Israeli hostages held by Hamas as “detainees,” a term critics say downplays the brutality of terrorism. The network quietly updated the term in its ceasefire coverage and added a vague editor’s note: “This story has been updated to refer in one instance to those held by Hamas as hostages.”
ABC did not issue a formal apology or clarify the misleading term.
“ABC just casually calling Israeli hostages ‘detainees’ is about as insulting as it gets,” wrote Fox News’s Joe Concha in an X post. The terminology drew immediate backlash, with many accusing ABC of pushing Hamas-friendly narratives.
This ABC hostages blunder follows a troubling pattern in left-leaning media. The New York Times recently described a Hamas tunnel under a Gaza hospital as “one of the war’s biggest Rorschach tests,” rather than condemning its use for terrorism. The Washington Post, too, faced criticism for parroting casualty claims from Hamas health officials before issuing a correction only after external pressure.
Meanwhile, the horrors endured by actual hostages remain undeniable. Eli Sharabi lost 40 percent of his body weight, endured starvation and torture, and learned that Hamas had murdered his wife and daughters. “Shocked” by Sharabi’s story, President Trump invited him and eight other freed hostages to the White House.
Trump’s response stands in stark contrast to ABC’s editorial cowardice—offering clarity where the media offers cover.
