More stories:

“I am writing to express grave concern over your 2024 George Polk Award selections,” wrote Itay Milner, a spokesperson for the Consulate General of Israel in New York.

“Equally troubling is the specific awarding of Yousef Masoud, whose public connections to Hamas and well-documented foreknowledge of the terror group’s plans for invasion mortally compromise the integrity of his reporting,” the letter added.

“By honoring Masoud, the George Polk Awards endorse a journalist whose work is deeply tainted, sending a dangerous message that journalistic recognition can be altogether divorced from any semblance of ethics. Masoud was intimately tied to a vicious terror group designated as such by the U.S., the EU and much of the civilized world.

“Awarding those complicit with crimes against humanity crushes the George Polk Awards’ reputation as an authority on journalistic integrity, and raises dire moral questions about turning a blind eye to acts of great evil. You must not allow the mores and pressures of our time to cloud your moral compass,” Milner wrote, urging the award committee to reconsider their decision.

According to a statement by Long Island University, which presents the award annually, Masoud, along with fellow Gazan journalist Samar Abu Elouf, was cited for “chronicling Israel’s bombardment and invasion of their homeland, Gaza.”

“The two photographed the conflict from its opening hours on Oct. 7 until they escaped the territory exactly two months later,” the statement read.

“Under harrowing circumstances, they captured gripping and unforgettable images. Of frightened children looking skyward toward an Israeli plane. Of bodies pulled from the rubble of flattened buildings. Of a little boy touching the bloodied face of his dead baby sister. And of the chaos of hospitals overwhelmed by dazed, gravely injured patients.”

When Masoud was asked about the coincidental timing and his knack for being “in the right place at the right time,” Masoud explained that he woke up at 5:30 a.m. to the sound of rocket fire, even though the firing did not start until an hour later.

The HonestReporting report raised several poignant questions about the documentation of war crimes committed by Hamas terrorists in southern Israeli communities on October 7 by foreign press photographers working for news agencies Associated Press, Reuters, CNN and The New York Times.

The report suggested that these photographers might have had prior knowledge of Hamas’ plans, enabling them to prepare accordingly – claims later denied by the media outlets.

The Prime Minister’s Office responded furiously, emphasizing the severity of the phenomenon where press photographers associated with international media participate in covering Hamas’ atrocities, demanding clarifications.

Minister Benny Gantz said, “They are no different from the terrorists – and should be treated as such.”

CNN told Ynet in response to the report that it “decided to suspend all ties” with Hassan Eslaiah, a freelance journalist who was documented embracing with Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar.

Reuters, which purchased photos from the photographer, said that the photos they acquired from freelance photographers were taken about two hours after Hamas launched the attack and started firing rockets into Israel.

“Reuters categorically denies that it had prior knowledge of the attack or that we embedded journalists with Hamas on Oct 7. Reuters acquired photographs from two Gaza-based freelance photographers who were at the border on the morning of Oct. 7, with whom it did not have a prior relationship,” the news agency said.

Reuters and AP refused to say whether they would sever work ties with the photographers, but have continued to use additional photos taken by them in the following month, including from Rafah.

The New York Times rejected criticism after its photographer in Gaza was signaled out for filming the Hamas massacre on October 7. The paper said he was covering events as they unfolded as was his job.

“The accusation that anyone at The New York Times had advance knowledge of the Hamas attacks or accompanied Hamas terrorists during the attacks is untrue and outrageous,” the newspaper said.

“It is reckless to make such allegations, putting our journalists on the ground in Israel and Gaza at risk. The Times has extensively covered the Oct. 7 attacks and the war with fairness, impartiality, and an abiding understanding of the complexities of the conflict.”

The newspaper sharply criticized the Foreign Ministry in a public statement, responding to its outreach to the Foreign Press Association. The communication, directed at ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat conveyed the newspaper’s viewpoint that the Israeli government’s statements lacked factual basis.

The response highlighted that the criticism extended beyond The Times to encompass independent photographers covering conflict zones, asserting that the ministry’s stance not only posed a risk to these individuals but also jeopardized the essential journalistic efforts necessary for the global understanding of war realities.

The New York Times newspaper featured a photograph by Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, who accompanied Hamas terrorists during the October 7 terror attack, as one of its photos of the year.

“The photos gathered here pay tribute to the brave photographers who found themselves in danger to capture them, reminding us of the many tears shed in 2023,” the newspaper wrote.

Describing the controversial image of a Palestinian bulldozer breaching the border fence between Gaza and Israel on the day of the massacre, the newspaper wrote, “The Palestinians used earthmoving equipment to breach the border between Gaza and Israel. Armed Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel through land, sea and air in a surprise terror attack that led to the outbreak of war.”

Abu Mostafa, along with other foreign correspondents, was accused of premeditated collaboration with Hamas on October 7 and stood back while the terrorists murdered and abducted innocent Israeli civilians.