Once more, with bias

The Reuters version:

Israel kills Islamic Jihad commanders in W.Bank
Near Jenin’s refugee camp, an Israeli undercover unit ambushed a car in which Ashraf al-Saadi, described by Islamic Jihad as a commander in its armed wing in the West Bank, was traveling.

Witnesses said Saadi was wounded by Israeli gunfire and two other men in the vehicle, Mohammed Abu Naaseh and driver Ala al-Breiky, were killed outright. Saadi fled on foot and fired a pistol, but was shot dead by the plainclothed unit after falling to the ground, the witnesses told Reuters.

“Israeli forces came to arrest the wanted men. Saadi spotted the unit, took out a pistol and fired at it, wounding a (paramilitary) border policeman. The force fired back, killing the three men,” an Israeli military spokesman said.

The AP version:

Israeli Troops Kill 3 Islamic Militants
Witnesses said the militants were sitting in a car when undercover troops fired at them from another car. Two militants were killed in the car and the third, Saadi, was fatally shot trying to escape, the witnesses said.

The army disputed the witnesses’ account, saying Saadi fired at troops when they tried to arrest him in a hospital parking lot. Troops returned fire, killing two militants and injuring Saadi. Saadi continued to fire as he fled, and the troops shot him dead, the army said. One soldier was slightly wounded by gunfire.

The Ynet version:

Border Guard kills Islamic Jihad commander, 2 others
Security officials said the head of the Islamic Jihad in the city opened fire at the officers, hitting one in the shoulder and lightly wounding him. The officers returned fire, killing the three men.

Palestinian reports said the men were sitting in a car when a black vehicle passed and lethal gunshots were fired. They claimed that one of those killed in the incident was a civilian who was driving the Islamic Jihad members.

Notice the weight given the palestinian witnesses accounts by AP and Reuters. Note the use of the word “ambush” in the Reuters account, as if the IDF were lying in wait for terrorists to pass by, then exploded out of cover to, uh, kill them while they were sitting in their car. Which is quite a feat, to ambush someone who is sitting in a car. Yes, I know, it’s the AP version that says they were sitting in a car, but still—Reuters deliberately uses the word “ambush” to describe the hunting down, with intent to arrest, a terrorist responsible for suicide bombings.

Score yet another black mark in the “Objectivity of the Media” column.