New York Times and CNN deny their Gazan freelancers knew about Hamas plan to attack Israel
Ben Farmer
Fri, 10 November 2023
The claims made by pro-Israel site, HonestReporting, have been called 'outrageous and irresponsible' - Shutterstock/HAITHAM IMAD/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The New York Times, CNN and other major international news outlets have strongly rejected Israel’s accusations that Gaza-based freelance photographers were accomplices in Hamas’s Oct 7 attacks.
A report by HonestReporting, a pro-Israel site, earlier this week suggested photojournalists working with Reuters, The Associated Press, CNN and The New York Times could not have taken photos of the attacks without prior knowledge and being “part of the plan”.
Pictures filed by the photographers that day included Hamas gunmen escaping to Gaza with kidnapped Israeli citizens, Hamas attackers climbing on a disabled Israeli tank, images of Hamas invaders outside a kibbutz and buildings burning.
The HonestReporting claims led the office of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, to declare the journalists were “accomplices in crimes against humanity” and “their actions were contrary to professional ethics”.
Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, declared the photojournalists should be treated as terrorists if it was proven they had advance knowledge of the Hamas attacks, which killed 1,400 Israelis.
Danny Danon, an MP for the ruling Likud party, went on to say they had taken “an active part in the massacre” and “we will hunt them down together with the terrorists”.
“Is it conceivable to assume that ‘journalists’ just happened to appear early in the morning at the border without prior coordination with the terrorists?” HonestReporting wrote on its website on Wednesday. “Or were they part of the plan?”
No evidence to back up claim
Gil Hoffman, the executive director of HonestReporting, later admitted the group had no evidence to back up the suggestion the reporters had prior knowledge of the Hamas attacks.
He claimed that “some people with an agenda” had made HonestReporting “look bad”.
“They acted as if we were stating facts instead of asking questions,” Mr Hoffman said.
The media organisations all said they had no prior knowledge of the attacks, and had not embedded journalists with Hamas.
They said they had no arrangements in advance with any of the journalists to provide photos and the pictures were taken some time after the attacks first began.
The New York Times dismissed the claims as “untrue and outrageous”.
Yousef Masoud filed this photograph 90 minutes after the attack began - Yousef Masoud/AP
The newspaper said that Yousef Masoud, whose photographs of an Israeli tank captured by Hamas were used by the newspaper and AP, did not know in advance of Hamas’s plans. His first photographs that day were filed 90 minutes after the attack began.
Reuters used pictures credited to Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa and Yasser Qudih, two freelancers it had no prior relationship with.
Its first photo was published more than 45 minutes after Israel said gunmen had crossed the border, the news agency said.
Besides Mr Masoud, AP used photos that day credited to Hassan Eslaiah, Ali Mahmoud and Hatem Ali.
AP and CNN said on Thursday that they would no longer work with Mr Eslaiah, one of the freelance photographers, after HonestReporting posted a photo of Mr Eslaiah being kissed by Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader.
The CPJ said these claims put journalists at further risk - Hatem Ali/AP
Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warned the Israeli government’s rhetoric could endanger journalists.
Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, CPJ’s advocacy and communications director, said: “Targeting journalists with disinformation only endangers them.
“Attempts to smear, delegitimise and criminalise journalists who are doing their job, are outrageous and irresponsible, and they put journalists at further risk.”
At least 39 journalists and media workers have been killed in the conflict so far, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The deadliest month-long period for journalists since the committee began tracking such figures in 1992.
Ben Farmer
Fri, 10 November 2023
The claims made by pro-Israel site, HonestReporting, have been called 'outrageous and irresponsible' - Shutterstock/HAITHAM IMAD/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The New York Times, CNN and other major international news outlets have strongly rejected Israel’s accusations that Gaza-based freelance photographers were accomplices in Hamas’s Oct 7 attacks.
A report by HonestReporting, a pro-Israel site, earlier this week suggested photojournalists working with Reuters, The Associated Press, CNN and The New York Times could not have taken photos of the attacks without prior knowledge and being “part of the plan”.
Pictures filed by the photographers that day included Hamas gunmen escaping to Gaza with kidnapped Israeli citizens, Hamas attackers climbing on a disabled Israeli tank, images of Hamas invaders outside a kibbutz and buildings burning.
The HonestReporting claims led the office of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, to declare the journalists were “accomplices in crimes against humanity” and “their actions were contrary to professional ethics”.
Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, declared the photojournalists should be treated as terrorists if it was proven they had advance knowledge of the Hamas attacks, which killed 1,400 Israelis.
Danny Danon, an MP for the ruling Likud party, went on to say they had taken “an active part in the massacre” and “we will hunt them down together with the terrorists”.
“Is it conceivable to assume that ‘journalists’ just happened to appear early in the morning at the border without prior coordination with the terrorists?” HonestReporting wrote on its website on Wednesday. “Or were they part of the plan?”
No evidence to back up claim
Gil Hoffman, the executive director of HonestReporting, later admitted the group had no evidence to back up the suggestion the reporters had prior knowledge of the Hamas attacks.
He claimed that “some people with an agenda” had made HonestReporting “look bad”.
“They acted as if we were stating facts instead of asking questions,” Mr Hoffman said.
The media organisations all said they had no prior knowledge of the attacks, and had not embedded journalists with Hamas.
They said they had no arrangements in advance with any of the journalists to provide photos and the pictures were taken some time after the attacks first began.
The New York Times dismissed the claims as “untrue and outrageous”.
Yousef Masoud filed this photograph 90 minutes after the attack began - Yousef Masoud/AP
The newspaper said that Yousef Masoud, whose photographs of an Israeli tank captured by Hamas were used by the newspaper and AP, did not know in advance of Hamas’s plans. His first photographs that day were filed 90 minutes after the attack began.
Reuters used pictures credited to Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa and Yasser Qudih, two freelancers it had no prior relationship with.
Its first photo was published more than 45 minutes after Israel said gunmen had crossed the border, the news agency said.
Besides Mr Masoud, AP used photos that day credited to Hassan Eslaiah, Ali Mahmoud and Hatem Ali.
AP and CNN said on Thursday that they would no longer work with Mr Eslaiah, one of the freelance photographers, after HonestReporting posted a photo of Mr Eslaiah being kissed by Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader.
The CPJ said these claims put journalists at further risk - Hatem Ali/AP
Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warned the Israeli government’s rhetoric could endanger journalists.
Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, CPJ’s advocacy and communications director, said: “Targeting journalists with disinformation only endangers them.
“Attempts to smear, delegitimise and criminalise journalists who are doing their job, are outrageous and irresponsible, and they put journalists at further risk.”
At least 39 journalists and media workers have been killed in the conflict so far, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The deadliest month-long period for journalists since the committee began tracking such figures in 1992.
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