VIENNA / ANKARA

Bild, Germany's most widely circulated daily, whose current editorial policy denies the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, is widely regarded as the news outlet that has received the most reprimands in the country's history, according to consistent criticism from Germany's self-regulating journalism body.

According to the German Press Council, Bild, which is owned by Axel Springer SE, has been accused of sensationalism, privacy violations, factual inaccuracies, and unethical reporting.

It has received over 250-300 reprimands from the council since 1986, the most of any German news outlet.

On its website, Axel Springer states in the first article of its "Corporate Constitution" that it stands for "freedom, free speech, the rule of law, and democracy."

The second article declares support for "the right of existence of the State of Israel" and opposition to "all forms of antisemitism."

Despite alarming reports from UN agencies and numerous NGOs warning of famine in Gaza, Springer's flagship tabloid published articles denying those reports, which were praised by the Israeli government, bringing the newspaper's connections to the spotlight.  

Media outlet claims no deliberate attempt by Israel to starve Gaza civilians 

The German tabloid, disregarding reports from independent international organizations, framed coverage of starvation in Gaza with headlines such as “Hamas’s diabolical hunger plan” and “8 facts about Gaza hunger that nobody wants to hear.”

The publication states that Israel “has since intermittently supplied the enemy territory with food, water, and fuel—both to civilians and terrorists.”

While claiming that Israel has "the military means to starve the approximately two million residents," the outlet denies that it has "deliberately sought to starve Gaza's two million civilians."

This echoes former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s statements from October 2023, when he ordered a “complete siege” on the Gaza Strip, saying: “There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel; everything is closed.”

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.

Also, according to the German tabloid, “international food security experts do not yet consider the criteria for famine to be met in Gaza.”

However, a report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) describes the situation in the besieged enclave as “the worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in Gaza.”

Another UN statement on Thursday also suggests that acute malnutrition among children in Gaza has reached its highest recorded levels, highlighting worsening starvation amid the ongoing Israeli blockade of critical humanitarian supplies.  

Bild accused of twisting leaked Hamas file to serve Netanyahu’s interests 

The newspaper was also in the spotlight with its involvement in what has become known as the “Bibileaks scandal,” a 2024 controversy in Israel involving the alleged leak of classified military documents from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office to Bild.

In an article published in September 2024, which it claimed was based on a secret document from Hamas’s “military intelligence agency” and obtained exclusively by Bild, it claimed: “Hamas is not seeking a quick end to the war that would help the people of Gaza.”

The article says Hamas aims to “make the hostages' families so desperate that they'll do ANYTHING to free their loved ones, even if that means going against their own government.”

The report continues to claim that Hamas’s aim is “exhausting the Israeli political and military apparatus and increasing international pressure on Israel.”

But a German news show said it had obtained the full document Bild cited, which said the publication had seriously distorted the file to serve the interests of the Netanyahu government.

According to Germany’s public broadcaster NDR’s Panorama, the full transcript reveals that Hamas expressed interest in a long-term ceasefire and showed a willingness to be flexible in negotiations, including mention of an 84-day truce as a step toward ending the war.

These aspects were “neglected” in Bild’s coverage, the broadcaster said in a May report this year.

Panorama stated that while Netanyahu faces criticism as “the prime minister who ruined Israeli democracy and protracted a bloody war in Gaza... to keep himself and his hypernationalist coalition in power,” Bild and the Axel Springer Group remained “one loyal friend” throughout.  

Axel Springer accused of facilitating illegal land sales in occupied West Bank 

A legal complaint charges German media giant Axel Springer of being involved in land grabs in the occupied Palestinian territory through its ownership of the Israeli real estate platform Yad2.

Thousands of properties in illegal Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank are listed on Yad2.

According to the legal complaint filed in Germany, Axel Springer contributes to the illegal sale of Palestinian land and human rights violations in the region.

In an interview with Anadolu, Robert Grabosch, a German lawyer representing Palestinians in the case, said the "online platform Yad2 is operated by an Israeli company, Coral Tell, and is a subsidiary of the Axel Springer group." 

"These properties are exclusively available to (illegal) Jewish settlers only. Many listings say they are ideal for Zionist pioneers, or they use Hebrew terms like Judea and Samaria to appeal to nationalists," Grabosch told Anadolu.

Grabosch says Axel Springer must take “reasonable measures to avoid illegal property listings,” highlighting that these listings are part of a land rights violation.

“Silence from German authorities isn’t neutrality; it’s complicity,” he noted.