Photographers from the Associated Press and Reuters were seemingly embedded with Hamas terrorists during attacks on Israel on October 7, raising questions about whether the news agencies had advance knowledge of the attacks.
The four credited photographers were based in Gaza, where the AP shared office space with the terrorist group.
One photographer, Hassan Eslaiah, was pictured with a top Hamas operative and posted images from the scene. (Trending: Federal Court Rules Against Gun Owners)
More: Here is Hassan Eslaiah, an @AP and @CNN contributor, taking a selfie while being kissed by Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza and architect of the 10/7 slaughter. pic.twitter.com/SrFQ4cUdzw
— Noah Pollak (@NoahPollak) November 8, 2023
The Associated Press denied any prior knowledge, while Reuters and other media outlets did not respond to inquiries.
“The Associated Press had no knowledge of the Oct. 7 attacks before they happened,” said spokeswoman Nicole Meir.
“The role of the AP is to gather information on breaking news events around the world, wherever they happen, even when those events are horrific and cause mass casualties. AP uses images taken by freelancers around the world, including in Gaza.”
I guess I wasn’t the only one wondering why the @AP had photographers embedded with the terrorists on 10/7? pic.twitter.com/gygpyHpznw
— Dovi Safier (@safier) November 8, 2023
The media watchdog, Honest Reporting, emphasized the need for transparency and questioned the standards of news agencies.
“When international news agencies decide to pay for material that has been captured under such problematic circumstances, their standards may be questioned and their audience deserves to know about it,” Honest Reporting wrote.
“And if their people on the ground actively or passively collaborated with Hamas to get the shots, they should be called out to redefine the border between journalism and barbarism.”
Additionally, the mainstream media has faced criticism for its coverage of Israel’s conflict with Hamas, including the dissemination of false claims.
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