Christian Amanpour has publicly apologized for remarks that many viewers found hurtful. On Monday, the CNN anchor said that the Israeli hostages freed from Hamas custody had been treated “better” than most Gazans, a comment that provoked strong backlash from Israeli supporters and human‑rights groups.
She retracted her statement on live TV shortly after the U.S. and Egypt‑brokered cease‑fire released the last 20 hostages. “That was insensitive, and it was wrong,” Amanpour told viewers, adding that she had heard harrowing accounts from former captives and their families.
“People who survived in the tunnels tell me they barely could breathe, were denied even a moment to cry, starved, and forced to dig their own graves,” she said. She also noted that some released hostages arrived in body bags after 738 days underground.
Amanpour’s earlier comment came as the world watched the emotional return of the 200‑plus hostages who had been held since Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed about 1,200 people. Images on Israeli news outlets showed thin men and women being reunited with families—images that intensified the controversy.
She explained that she had tried to highlight the humanitarian cost of the Gaza war. “It will take a long time for these people to recover mentally and physically,” she said, adding that she regretted suggesting they might have been treated better than many Gazans.
Pro‑Israel advocacy group HonestReporting blasted the remark on X, calling it “insensitive” and comparing the hostages’ suffering to the conditions many Gazans face. The group posted images of chained men and chained cages to illustrate the violence behind the accusation.
The 2023 attack on southern Israel led to one of Israel’s longest and bloodiest conflicts. Through the cease‑fire, Hamas released the remaining hostages in exchange for about 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and the return of more than 300 bodies. The deal also stipulated that Hamas disarm and that an international body oversee Gaza’s reconstruction.
Humanitarian aid trains carrying food, medicine and supplies now enter Gaza, while Red Cross officials supervise the transfer of captives. The cease‑fire also paused Israeli combat operations and began the withdrawal of troops from much of Gaza.
President Trump flew to Israel and Egypt for the cease‑fire ceremony, calling the agreement “the end of an age of terror and death.” He stood beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and described the truce as “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
The Post has asked CNN for comment on Amanpour’s apology. The story underscores how words during such a volatile crisis can ignite strong emotions, especially when survivors and their families are still healing from the trauma of two years of captivity.
Source: New York Post
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