Israel Slams Major Media Outlets, Alleges Advance Knowledge Of Hamas Attacks Through Gaza Freelance Photographers

The Israeli government has cast serious accusations against four international media outlets, alleging they had advanced information about the Hamas attacks that took place on Oct. 7. The media organizations under the spotlight are The New York Times, CNN, The Associated Press (AP), and Reuters.

What Happened: Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi claims that certain individuals within these media houses, including photographers, had knowledge of the forthcoming attacks by Hamas militants, which led to over 1,400 fatalities, POLITICO reported. Nitzan Chen, the director of the Israeli government’s press office, has sought clarifications from the accused media organizations on this matter.

The accused media outlets have strongly refuted these charges, with The New York Times characterizing the allegations as “outrageous” and posing a threat to the safety of journalists in both Israel and Gaza.

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Why It Matters: These accusations followed a report by Honest Reporting, which led Israel to allege that the photojournalists were present at the scene as the attack was being planned, ready to capture the ensuing violence. The office of the Israeli Prime Minister has labeled the journalists as “accomplices in crimes against humanity.”

Reuters, AP, and The New York Times later issued statements on Thursday, denying any foreknowledge of the Oct. 7 attacks. AP also disclosed that it had cut ties with Hassan Eslaiah, one of the implicated photographers. As of now, CNN has not yet released a statement.

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