Overview

• President Biden criticized The New York Times' coverage of an explosion near a Gaza hospital, alleging it misattributed the incident to Israel, which the President believed escalated military tension and affected diplomatic relations.
• The controversial article resulted in the cancellation of a scheduled meeting between President Biden and prominent Arab leaders on the day of the article's publication.
• The New York Times initially claimed, based on reports from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, that an explosion at a Gaza hospital, which resulted in hundreds of casualties, was caused by Israeli airstrikes.
• Subsequent investigations by Israel and confirmation by the U.S. intelligence pointed to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad as the source of the explosion, denying their initial claims. In response, The New York Times released a lengthy editor's note apologizing for relying heavily on unverified claims by Hamas.
• President Biden's criticism of The New York Times' coverage extends to a long-term sentiment of perceived unfavorable coverage throughout his 2020 campaign and alleged refusal of interview requests by the Times' reporters.