“They were better off than Gazans”: CNN host sparks outrage with shocking remark about Israeli hostages – and apologizes
CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour caused outrage after claiming that Israeli hostages held by Hamas “were in better condition than most Gazans.”
“Anyone who’s spoken to the hostages will say it will take them a very long time to recover physically and mentally,” Amanpour said during a live broadcast. “These have been two terrible years for them. But you know, they were probably kept in better conditions than the average Gazan, because they were Hamas’s bargaining chips. Now Hamas has lost all its leverage, and that’s a victory for Israel.”
The remark provoked a storm online, with users pointing out that many hostages were starved, chained, and even forced to dig their own graves at gunpoint. Following the backlash, Amanpour issued a lengthy on-air and social media apology.