The May 20 episode of On The Coast, a CBC radio program entitled: “Humanitarian organizations call for urgent aid to Gaza” focused on the Carney government’s recent statement threatening Israel with sanctions if it does not impose a ceasefire and allow unrestricted humanitarian aid.

Listen now to the full segment:

Host Gloria Macarenko stated in her introduction that “recent reports from the UN have found that the entire Gaza population faces a critical risk of famine,” making no acknowledgement of evidence that there is sufficient food in Gaza to feed the population.

She hosted Dalia al-Awqati from the non-profit group Oxfam, a radically anti-Israel organization, who concurred, saying that “the humanitarian conditions in Gaza are beyond horrific” Al-Awqati said that “I haven’t seen… in twenty years of humanitarian work have I seen something this horrific.”

Macarenko did insert Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement rejecting Canada’s statement, and that of Canadian Conservative party leader, Pierre Poillievre, who said that  “Hamas terrorists have just thanked Mark Carney for his recent statement on Israel. When terrorist groups like Hamas say your actions are a significant step in the right direction, that means they are not.”

Astonishingly, Macarenko merely inserted the statements and didn’t explore them at all. Her episode lacked any meaningful balance or insight into the opposing point of view, and as such, was in breach of basic journalistic principles, and not for the first time. Had she chosen to include a pro-Israel voice live on the show, it could have been a fascinating episode, however, it ended up sounding like an echo chamber.

As far as the allegations of famine go, claims of immediate famine in Gaza have been made repeatedly during this war, and have yet to be realized. Even when aid was temporarily suspended for security reasons in early March, experts said that enough aid was inside Gaza to last for many months. In sync with this, Gazan social media accounts showed restaurants still serving food, albeit at higher prices.

One wonders whether the host is aware that Hamas – whom neither Macarenko nor her guest even mentioned – have been looting aid throughout the war, hoarding it, and reselling it at inflated prices in order to fund their terrorism. Israel’s halt to allowing humanitarian aid was a halt to funding Hamas.

Macarenko likewise seemed unaware that as of the date of her broadcast, Israel was planning to create alternative distribution methods to bypass Hamas. They have now rolled out this plan, in collaboration with the US, under the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), and are facilitating direct aid to Gazans. Hamas has made significant efforts to stop Gazans from accessing it, including creating a false social media account stating that GHF aid was suspended.

Undeterred, Macarenko stated that “the UN said Gaza needs at least 500 trucks of aid and commercial goods every day. Yesterday five aid trucks entered Gaza.” And Al-Tarqawi said, “we have over 2 million dollars of assistance that’s been waiting to enter Gaza since the total siege, since March.” However, a week later, COGAT – Israel’s body that coordinates humanitarian aid into Gaza – reported that over 400 trucks are waiting at the Kerem Shalom crossing for the UN to distribute them.

Macarenko likewise stated that “since the break of the ceasefire 3000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza.” Making such an enormous claim without referencing a source is journalistically flawed. She likely is relying on Hamas’s casualty figures without acknowledging doing so, nor the multiple concerns in Hamas’ data, including by inflating numbers and by not distinguishing between combatants and civilians in their death tolls.

Macarenko, assisted by al-Awqati, has produced an episode that demonized Israel for all suffering – real and imagined – that is taking place in Gaza, without mentioning the genocidal perpetrators of the war – Hamas – who refuse to end it by releasing the hostages, disarming and surrendering and who cause considerable suffering to their people.