CNN International’s Christiane Amanpour found herself in a world of trouble this week after making one of the most tone-deaf comments imaginable about the Israeli hostages finally released from Hamas captivity. What she said was so stunningly offensive and the backlash so intense, that she was forced to issue a scripted apology.
During a segment on CNN News Central, Amanpour had the audacity to suggest that Israeli hostages held by Hamas terrorists for two years were “probably being treated better than the average Gazan.”
“And I think for sure, people who start to talk to the hostages, who have only just been released, will find that it will take a long, long time for them to recover physically, but also mentally,” she began. “It’s been a terrible, terrible two years for them because not only are they, they’re — you know — they’re probably being treated better than the average Gazan, because they are the pawns and the chips that Hamas had. Now, Hamas has given up all its leverage, by the way, by giving them all up. So, that is a victory for the Israeli side.”
.@amanpour: The Israeli hostages have “probably been treated better than the average Gazan because they are the pawns & the chips that Hamas had.”
Starved, electrocuted, held in chains & cages underground, forced to dig their own graves.
Is that what she considers being treated… pic.twitter.com/RxNYOhwSF5
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) October 13, 2025
Incredible. Amanpour actually thought it made sense to claim that people held captive by terrorists — people who were starved, electrocuted, chained and caged underground, and even forced to dig their own graves — somehow had it better than civilians living in Gaza. Some of these hostages were raped, tortured, and murdered while in captivity. Many who came home are returning in body bags. But, sure, Christiane, they were treated just great because Hamas needed them for leverage.
The backlash was swift and fierce, and it didn’t take long for CNN brass to realize they had to do something about this.
Amanpour issued an on-air apology during her own show, reading from what was clearly a prepared statement on the teleprompter. “Earlier live on air, I spoke about what a day of real joy this is, for Israeli families whose loved ones are finally being returned from two years of horrific Hamas captivity, and for civilians in Gaza, who have finally had a reprieve from two years of brutal, deadly war,” she said. “I noted that for the hostages who are finally home, it will take a long time for them to recover mentally and physically. But I regret also saying that they may have been treated better than many Gazans because Hamas used these hostages as pawns and bargaining chips. It was insensitive and wrong. From speaking to many former hostages and their families, like everyone, I’ve been horrified at what Hamas has subjected them to over two long years. They’ve told me their stories of barely being able to breathe in the tunnels, not being allowed to cry, being starved and made to dig their own graves — and of course, today, some of the hostages are coming back in body bags.”
Earlier live on air, I spoke about what a day of real joy this is, for Israeli families whose loved ones are finally being returned from two years of horrific Hamas captivity, and for civilians in Gaza, who have finally had a reprieve from two years of brutal, deadly war.
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) October 13, 2025
The problem is that nobody legitimately believes Amanpour’s apology. Watching her read the words off a screen with all the emotion of someone reciting a grocery list made it painfully obvious that this was damage control, not genuine remorse. When you spend years covering international conflicts and still manage to make such a grotesque misjudgment about people held captive by terrorists, an apology rings hollow.
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Steven Cheung, White House Director of Communications, blasted Amanpour. “Christiane Amanpour is one of the most unserious journalists covering foreign policy,” Cheung said in a post on X. “She’s simply a sock puppet controlled by America’s enemies, parroting hate and anti-Trump biases. It’s a wonder why CNN has employed her for so long even after she embarrasses herself every week.”
This entire episode reveals something deeper about the left-wing media. When you’re so invested in a particular narrative that you’re willing to minimize the suffering of hostages held by terrorists, you’ve lost the plot entirely. Amanpour’s comment was more than just insensitive; it was a window into how distorted the worldview of some journalists has become. The fact that she even thought it was appropriate to make such a comparison in the first place tells you everything you need to know about where her sympathies lie.
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