JERUSALEM — Israel’s former Ambassador to the United Nations said photographers working with mainstream media outlets that embedded with Hamas during the October 7 attack are complicit in terrorism.
“Those who join forces with terrorists to illegally and destructively infiltrate Israeli communities in the early hours are terrorists themselves,” said Danny Danon, the former top diplomat who is now a member of the Knesset. “Likewise, those who actively participate in the photographing and filming of the most savage crimes against humanity are themselves criminals.”
Multiple photographers who have worked with the Associated Press, CNN, The New York Times, and Reuters embedded with Hamas terrorists as they butchered 1,400 Israeli civilians in their homes and at a music festival, according to a report from Honest Reporting, a media watchdog.
The news agencies posted intimate photos of the attacks, including of terrorists breaking into Kfar Aza, where more than 50 civilians were killed and many others taken hostage. Photographers were also on the scene when German-Israeli Shani Look was taken hostage, according to photographs.
Danon wrote on X that the Israeli internal security agency will add the photographers to its list of terrorists whom it is seeking to “eliminate.”
“Israel’s internal security agency announced that they will eliminate all participants of the October 7 massacre,” Danon said. “The ‘photojournalists’ who took part in recording the assault will be added to that list.”
Questions have arisen if the freelance photographers who have contributed to major outlets knew of the early morning attack ahead of time. Terrorists were reportedly planning the coordinated assault for several months.
The outlets have worked to distance themselves from the photographers, telling The Daily Wire they did not know they would be embedded with terrorists that day and simply published photos that were submitted.
“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,” Nicole Meir told The Daily Wire. “AP uses images taken by freelancers around the world, including in Gaza.”
Four Gaza-based journalists received credit from the Associated Press for images, including Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Ali Mahmud, and Hatem Ali.
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CNN has since suspended Eslaiah — who has also been photographed kissing Hamas leadership — but said they have no reason to doubt the accuracy of his work for them.
“We are aware of the article and photo concerning Hassan Eslaiah, a freelance photojournalist who has worked with a number of international and Israeli outlets,” CNN press officer Train Kumar, told The Daily Wire.
“While we have not at this time found reason to doubt the journalistic accuracy of the work he has done for us, we have decided to suspend all ties with him,” Kumar added.
Honest Reporting included since-deleted tweets of Eslaiah’s that show him on the scene with a burning Israeli tank with the text, “Live from inside the Gaza Strip settlements.”
The watchdog also condemned the mainstream outlets for purchasing the horrific images from the embedded freelancers.
“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,” the watchdog 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,” it added.
READ MORE: Mainstream Outlets Had Photographers Embedded With Hamas As Terror Attack Unfolded: Report
READ MORE: Mainstream Outlets Distance Themselves From Gaza Photographers That Embedded With Hamas