This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A new lawsuit has been filed by families of the victims of Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack on Israelis, and it charges that the two news companies, AP and Reuters, may have employed people with Hamas terror connections.
A new report from the New York Post said the families of five of the victims of that terrorist invasion of Israel, in which Islamic terrorists butchered some 1,200 civilians, have sued, charging that the news corporations employed "journalists" who were connected to the terrorists.
These five victims all had been attending the Nova music festival when they were murdered.
According to the Post, "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."
The two organizations "allegedly published reports and photographs taken by the Hamas-affiliated journalists as they actively partook in the attacks on Israel," making them liable, according to the lawsuit, "for the direct and indirect damage and actions of their 'journalists'."
"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 filing charges.
"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 documents identify the plaintiffs as family members of victims Mai Naim, Abir Lotan, Guy Gabriel Levi, Shalev Madmoni, and Shani Louk."
The Post documented, "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 journalists were identified in those reports as Hassan Eslaiah, Yousef Masoud, Ali Mahmud, and Hatem Ali, and they reportedly had ties to AP, Reuters, the New York Times, and CNN.
Eslaiah was accused of being side by side with Hamas terrorists while they went about shooting and slaughtering innocent Israelis, the report explained. The AP later cut ties with him.
Reuter said it disputes, "in the strongest terms," the allegations and warned HonestReporting based its "insinuations" on speculation.
The AP also denied any "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."
The attack involved an invasion of Israel by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, who butchered Israeli civilians often in horrific ways such as beheading babies and burning whole families alive.
It's the direct cause of Israel's current military campaign to seek out and eradicate Hamas terrorists from Gaza.
