Families of Hamas music festival massacre victims claim Reuters and AP reporters took part in atrocities

The families of five victims who were killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre at the Nova music festival in Israel have sued Reuters and the Associated Press over accusations the outlets employed journalists who were connected to the terrorist group and involved in the atrocities, according to a report.

The filing claims that two agencies, who are among the world’s largest news wire services, hired Hamas-affiliated journalists from Gaza who knew that the surprise attack was coming and failed to prevent horrific crimes from happening, World Israel News reported.

Reuters and AP allegedly published reports and photographs taken by the Hamas-affiliated journalists as they actively partook in the attacks on Israel. The new organizations “are liable for the direct and indirect damage and actions of their ‘journalists’,” according to the lawsuit.

“Any excuse or justification that could be raised claiming the rules of journalism – such as the right of the public to know – cannot justify a situation whereby a reporter for one of the agencies would be present, participate and film the commission of a serious crime, such as the abduction of an elderly woman from her home,” the lawsuit states.

“There is no doubt that the ‘journalists’ who were present at the massacre could have assisted the victims and notified Israeli authorities in advance so that the atrocities would have been prevented. The news agencies who had contracted the services of the ‘journalists’, and who are responsible directly for their actions, are liable for damages caused to the plaintiffs.”

The suit was bought by the families of five people who were killed at the Nova music festival outside of Re’im — identified in court documents as Mai Naim, Abir Lotan, Guy Gabriel Levi, Shalev Madmoni, and Shani Louk.

“Mai, Abir, Guy, Shalev Madmoni and Shani, were young… people who had their whole future in front of them, went to enjoy a music festival and were murdered in the massacre,” the filing read, according to Israel’s YNet News. Not much is known about the circumstances of their death, the suit notes.

The lawsuit comes months after pro-Israel media watchdog, Honest Reporting, reported that four Gazan journalists and photojournalists were embedded with Hamas militants on October 7th. The group speculated that six Gaza-based photographers had advanced knowledge of the attack because they were early to the scene.

The four journalists, identified as Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Ali Mahmud, and Hatem Ali, were reported to have ties to Reuters, The Associated Press, The New York Times, and CNN.

Eslaiah, who the AP cut ties with in November, was accused of being side by side with Hamas terrorists while they went about shooting and slaughtering innocent Israelis.

Eslaiah admitted to hitching a ride back to Gaza from Hamas militants, though he has denied having any advance knowledge of the attack nor links to the terrorist group. He was also photographed smiling alongside Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar who kissed him on his cheek and placed his arm around the journalist in a 2020 image that spread online following the attack.

Reuters has vehemently denied the allegations raised by the lawsuit and slammed Honest Reporting’s report.

“We dispute, in the strongest terms, any allegation that Reuters aided and abetted terrorism or provided support to terrorists,” a Reuters spokesperson told The Post in a statement. ‘Reuters is committed to reporting news fairly, accurately and independently in keeping with the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

“Reuters categorically denies that it had prior knowledge of the attack or that we embedded journalists with Hamas on October 7,” Reuters said.

Reuters accused HonestReporting of irresponsible speculation that the organization’s executive director, Gil Hoffman, admitted in a Reuters article from Nov. 11 that there was no evidence supporting the report’s “insinuations” that threatened the safety of journalists.

“We believe that HonestReporting should be held to account for the spread of misinformation it has triggered, and for the risk and reputational harm its inflammatory claims have caused to journalists reporting on this conflict.

The agency claimed it investigated two freelance photojournalists whose photos it had acquired after the Oct. 7 attack and “found no evidence to support any claim of coordination with Hamas.”

“The photographs published by Reuters were taken two hours after Hamas fired rockets across southern Israel and more than 45 minutes after Israel said gunmen had crossed the border.  Reuters had no prior relationship with either photographer,” the Reuters spokesperson said.

“Reuters did not publish any images from Hassan Eslaiah, Hatem Ali or Ali Mahmoud, nor from Hassan Asliya or Yusuf Massoud, and does not have a relationship with them.”

The Associated Press similarly claimed in a statement last week the outlet had “no advance knowledge of the Oct. 7 attacks, nor have we seen any evidence – including in the lawsuit – that the freelance journalists who contributed to our coverage did. Allegations like this are reckless and create even more potential danger for journalists in the region.”