Report: Survivors Sue AP for Hiring Journalists Linked to Terrorism in Oct. 7 Massacre

By Yoni Weiss

Survivors of the Oct. 7 massacre are filing a lawsuit against the Associated Press (AP), accusing the news agency of supporting a terrorist organization by hiring freelance photojournalists who allegedly took part in the attack, according to a report by The Standard. The group, consisting of Israeli-Americans and Americans, is seeking damages under the Anti-Terrorism Act in the Southern District of Florida Federal Court. The lawsuit claims that the AP was aware of the photographers’ ties to Hamas but hired them nonetheless.

One of the journalists implicated is Hassan Eslaiah, who allegedly rode into Israel on a motorbike with Hamas members. Despite being hired by CNN after the October 7 incident, CNN stated it had no reason to doubt the accuracy of Eslaiah’s work. Eslaiah claimed he had no prior knowledge of the attack, but evidence suggests he posted messages on his social media channel half an hour before the attack began.

Although Eslaiah denies affiliations with Hamas, he was reportedly seen receiving an embrace from Hamas military chief Yahya Sinwar in 2020. Two other journalists accused of involvement in the Oct. 7 massacre, Yousef Masoud and Samar Abu Elouf, recently won the George Polk Award from Long Island University. The New York Times, their employer, defended the decision to keep them on, dismissing the allegations against them as “vague.”