What were Gaza photographers working for the Associated Press and Portal doing at the site of the Hamas massacre so early on October 7? Were they warned by the terrorist group? And did the news outlets that published the photos condone their presence in that area along with the terrorists? Did the photojournalists inform the press?
We saw what happened on Saturday, July 10, through the videos and photos circulating in the newspapers and on our social feeds. We are now certain that Hamas – which had been secretly planning the attack for months, if not years – had also organized the “communications” part of the attack, taking bodycam images of the kidnappings, murders and lynchings.
However, the Israeli non-governmental organization Honest Reporting, an association that has always “monitored the media for bias against Israel,” today published a series of “clues” and questions that raised some doubts, particularly among the Israeli government, as to how Much of the attack was known to some photographers, whose images were used by news agencies and international media.
In the report, the group questions how four Gaza-based photojournalists could have been present at the sites of the attacks: Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Ali Mahmud and Hatem Ali. All freelancers who work for the Associated Press and Portal news agencies, as well as media outlets such as CNN and the New York Times. For CNN, Eslaiah took photos of a burning Israeli tank and then captured the intruders as they entered Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where over a hundred people were killed. Honest Reporting writes that Eslaiah’s position is the most controversial. The CNN and AP employee would also be the protagonist of a video in which he sits on a motorcycle behind a militiaman and appears to be holding a grenade in his left hand.
–
Honest Reporting also writes that shortly after the article was published, they were made aware of an old tweet showing Hassan Eslaiah with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. No proof of the journalist’s involvement in the attack, but – according to the group – confirmation of knowledge.
Portal published photos of a burning Israeli tank taken by Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa and Yasser Qudih, as well as an image of the crowd abusing the body of an Israeli soldier.
– –
The Israeli government’s press office issued a statement saying it was handling this information “strictly” and called the journalists “complicit in crimes against humanity.”
“If there were journalists who knew about the massacre and took photos while children were being massacred, they would be no different than terrorists and their punishment should be severe,” Benny Gantz, an Israeli centrist leader, wrote in X.
Muhammad Shehada, a Palestinian analyst, accuses Israel of wanting to discredit Gaza journalists, the only ones who can report on what is happening in Gaza. Both CNN and AP have temporarily suspended their collaboration with Hassan Eslaiah.