Photographers working with foreign media were on the scene right after the Hamas attack. Israel demands an explanation

The Israeli request is based on a report by the NGO HonestReporting, which draws attention in particular to the ethical side of the matter. He also questions the closeness of some photographers’ relationships with members of Hamas, especially due to a photograph in which one of the leaders of the Palestinian terrorist movement kisses the photographer on the cheek. The report also notes that the reporters were not wearing helmets or body armor during the attack.

“Hamas terrorists were not the only ones to document on October 7 the war crimes they committed during their deadly rampage in southern Israel. Some of their atrocities were captured by Gaza-based photojournalists working for the Associated Press (AP) and Reuters news agencies, whose early morning presence in the breached border region raises serious ethical questions,” reports HonestReporting.

During the attack, Hamas fighters murdered 1400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped another 240 people to the Gaza Strip, where Hamas rules. Several of these abductions were caught by the aforementioned photojournalists and clearly reported on as abductions, writes HonestReporting.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it had sent a letter to the management of the affected media outlets asking for an explanation. She also called for immediate action, saying it was a “violation of professional ethics,” according to the Times of Israel.

The media deny wrongdoing

In response to the allegations, the AP news agency wrote that “AP uses images from independent photographers around the world, including the Gaza Strip. The Associated Press had no knowledge of the October 7 attack before it happened”.