In the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack, the Israeli government pressed four major news outlets for explanations regarding their purported foreknowledge.
Denying any prior awareness of the massive assault, The New York Times, CNN, Associated Press (AP), and Reuters were contacted by Israeli authorities on Thursday.
The inquiry stemmed from revelations by the Israeli media watchdog, HonestReporting.com, exposing details that suggested photojournalists affiliated with these outlets were present with Hamas terrorists during the incursion into Israel, leading to the tragic loss of civilian lives.
“These journalists were accomplices in crimes against humanity; their actions were contrary to professional ethics,” the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a post on X.
“Overnight the GPO (Government Press Office) issued an urgent letter to the bureau chiefs of the media organizations that employed these photographers and sought clarifications on the matter. The National Public Diplomacy Directorate demands that immediate action be taken.
"The National Public Diplomacy Directorate in the PMO views with utmost gravity that photojournalists working with international media joined in covering the brutal acts of murder perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on October 7th in the communities adjacent to the Gaza Strip," the post read.
In response to the allegations made by HonestReporting.com, the four news outlets issued robust statements, firmly refuting the claims. Both the AP and CNN explicitly mentioned that they had terminated their association with freelance photographer Hassan Eslaiah after he was identified in the report as being present with Hamas militants during the attack.
“The Associated Press had no knowledge of the October 7 attacks before they happened,” Lauren Easton, the director of media relations for the Associated Press, said in a statement on Thursday night.
“The first pictures AP received from any freelancer show they were taken more than an hour after the attacks began. No AP staff were at the border at the time of the attacks, nor did any AP staffer cross the border at any time.”
“We are no longer working with Hassan Eslaiah, who had been an occasional freelancer for AP and other international news organizations in Gaza,” Easton added.
According to a statement from CNN, it clarified that Hassan Eslaiah was not engaged in any work for the network on the day of the attack.
“We had no prior knowledge of the October 7th attack. Hassan Eslaiah, who was a freelance journalist working for us and many other outlets, was not working for the network on October 7th. As of today, we have severed all ties with hims,” a CNN spokesperson said
On its part, a Reuters spokesperson said ththe news agency "categorically denies that it had prior knowledge of the attack or that we embedded journalists with Hamas on October 7".
“The photographs published by Reuters were taken two hours after Hamas fired rockets across southern Israel and more than 45 minutes after Israel said gunmen had crossed the border.
“Reuters staff journalists were not on the ground at the locations referred to in the HonestReporting article,” the spokesperson added.
The New York Times also issued a statement about accusations made against another freelance photographer, Yousef Massoud, who was mentioned in HonestReporting’s report.
“Though Yousef was not working for The Times on the day of the attack, he has since done important work for us,” the company said.
“There is no evidence for Honest Reporting’s insinuations. Our review of his work shows that he was doing what photojournalists always do during major news events, documenting the tragedy as it unfolded.”
(With Agency Inputs)
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