To the Editor:

Did we miss your correction? On January 7, the Washington Post ran a story “Israel Hits U.N.-Run School in Gaza,” that reported that Israel fired mortar shells at a school run by the U.N. where many Palestinians were seeking shelter during the Gaza fighting. The report said at least 40 people died in the attack on the school.

But since then, The United Nations has backed off its assertion that Israel struck the Gaza school.

According to the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Jerusalem now says Israeli mortar shells did not land inside the school, but instead landed in the street. This is an important distinction that must be reported. Readers of your initial article should be made aware of the great pains Israel Defense Forces took to avoid civilian casualties, a nearly impossible task when battling Hamas, the terrorist group that hides among its own civilian population.

The initial account was carried on page 1. By not running a correction, and specifically, a prominent correction, the Post leaves readers with erroneous information that damages Israel’s credibility. When new information comes to light, the Post has a responsibility to publish it.

Daniel S. Mariaschin
B’nai B’rith International Executive Vice President