Three international and domestic stories received limited coverage across mainstream media outlets this week, according to an analysis by AllSides, a media bias monitoring organization. The stories include a United Nations commission's accusation against Israel, Japan's establishment of its own intelligence agency, and the release of a man convicted of hijacking a Cuban flight in 2003.
The UN Commission of Inquiry issued a report accusing Israeli authorities of "deplorable and flagrant violations of international law" regarding their treatment of medical personnel in Gaza. The commission specifically documented the case of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, Director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip, stating he has been subjected to "continued and severe abuse since his detention by Israeli authorities in December 2024."
The commission called for "the immediate, unconditional and safe release of Dr. Abu Safiya and of all medical personnel held in arbitrary detention by Israel." The report used the term "genocide," asserting that "Israeli security forces deliberately killed, wounded, detained, and severely mistreated medical personnel... as part of a concerted policy to destroy the health-care system of Gaza."
Japan announced plans to establish its own centralized intelligence agency amid what officials describe as threats from North Korea, Russia, and China. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that Western allies including the United States, Germany, and Australia have advised Japan on the endeavor, though the agency will be independently operated by Tokyo. The agency is expected to officially open by December with a current budget of $407 million.
The move marks significant shifts away from US reliance and Japan's constitutional pacifism principles. Coverage was limited in American media despite the story's implications for US-Japan relations and Indo-Pacific security dynamics.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive outlets and Democratic-aligned commentators have focused on polling data showing declining American support for Israel, particularly among younger voters and left-leaning demographics. According to Gallup polling cited by AllSides, 59% of Democratic voters sympathize with Palestine compared to 21% with Israel. The data showed overall sympathies for Palestinians rising 10 percentage points over five years.
Human rights organizations aligned with progressive causes have amplified the UN commission's findings, calling for international accountability and ceasefire negotiations. Progressive commentators argue that US military aid to Israel should be conditioned on compliance with international humanitarian law.
On Japan, left-leaning analysts note that Pew Research Center polling found left-leaning voters support foreign aid more prominently than right-leaning voters. Some progressive voices view Japan's intelligence expansion as potentially destabilizing in a region already marked by tensions over Taiwan and the South China Sea.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative outlets have emphasized different aspects of these stories. On the UN report, right-leaning commentators argue that the commission's findings reflect anti-Israel bias at international bodies and note that Israel disputes the allegations as politically motivated.
Gallup polling from last year found that 75% of Republican voters sympathize with Israel compared to just 10% with Palestine. Conservative commentators have highlighted this partisan divide in sympathy ratings as evidence that Americans broadly support Israel's right to self-defense against Hamas.
Right-rated outlets including Fox News, One America News Network, Breitbart, and The Post Millennial provided prominent coverage of the third story: US District Judge John E. Steele ordering the release of Maikel Guerra Morales, an unauthorized immigrant who completed a 22-year sentence for aircraft piracy related to hijacking a Cuban flight in 2003. These outlets characterized Steele, a Clinton appointee, as defiant against the Trump administration and emphasized Morales' unauthorized immigration status.
Some conservative coverage highlighted claims by Morales and his affiliates that they hijacked the plane "for freedom," a narrative commentators suggested could bolster President Trump's rhetoric against Cuba's regime.
What the Numbers Show
The polling data reveals stark partisan divides on Israeli-Palestinian sympathies: 75% of Republican voters side with Israel versus 10% with Palestine, while 59% of Democratic voters side with Palestine versus 21% with Israel. Overall US sympathies for Palestinians rose 10 percentage points over five years while sympathies for Israelis fell 14 percentage points.
Japan's new intelligence agency carries a $407 million initial budget and is scheduled to launch by December 2026. Morales spent 22 years in US custody for aircraft piracy before his release order last week. He was held in ICE custody since 2025, with immigration authorities reportedly planning deportation to Mexico before Judge Steele ordered his domestic release on habeas corpus grounds.
The Bottom Line
These three under-covered stories illustrate how media attention varies across the political spectrum and why certain international developments receive limited US coverage. The UN commission's genocide accusation remains a developing story that could influence future US policy debates around military aid to Israel, particularly given shifting public opinion among Democratic voters.
Japan's establishment of an independent intelligence agency represents a notable shift in the US-Japan alliance structure and warrants monitoring as regional security dynamics evolve. The Morales release highlights ongoing tensions between judicial independence and executive branch immigration enforcement priorities.
AllSides noted that outlets across the political spectrum may have under-covered these stories because they did not fit neatly into left-right narratives, or because coverage would require acknowledging complexities in established partisan positions.