Five families whose children will killed by Hamas in the Nova party tragedy on October 7th, took legal action on Wednesday, filing a lawsuit at the Yerushalayim District Court against the Reuters and AP news agencies. They allege that “journalists and photographers” affiliated with these agencies accompanied Hamas terrorists, documenting the atrocities of the massacre. The lawsuit contends that these individuals were deployed to live broadcast the events on the news websites owned by the agencies.
Ynet revealed that the ten plaintiffs consist of the parents of the slain youngsters: May Naim, Abir Lotan, Guy Gabriel Levi, Shalev Madmoni, and Shani Louk. Through lawyers Yossi Ha’Ezrachi, Yehuda Ressler, and Amir Rosenkrantz, the parents assert that some of these “journalists” sympathize with Hamas and actively participated in the October 7th massacre. They allege that these individuals, alongside Hamas terrorists, infiltrated Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip as co-conspirators, complicit in grave crimes and injustices.
The lawsuit further states that the agencies are prominent global news organizations involved in producing and disseminating television broadcasts worldwide, including those from Israel. It holds the defendants accountable for sending these questionable “journalists,” asserting that no legal justification, such as the public’s right to information, excuses documenting a serious crime in real-time, like the abduction of an elderly woman.
The plaintiffs express disbelief that these local “journalists” were unaware of the impending invasion and massacre, considering that a significant portion of their reports and photographs were from the initial moments of the tragedy. May, Lotan, Guy, Shalev, and Shani, filled with zest for life, had their promising futures cruelly cut short at the Nova festival. Details of their tragic deaths remain scant, with their families piecing together information from surviving friends and snippets sent during the massacre.
In closing, the lawsuit asserts that the “journalists” accompanying the Hamas terrorists could have intervened and alerted Israeli authorities beforehand, potentially preventing the horrific crimes. The defendants, by engaging with these “journalists,” bear direct responsibility for the damages inflicted on the plaintiffs. No defense statement has been submitted to the court as yet.
A similar lawsuit was filed approximately a week prior against AP news agency in a Florida court. Relatives of the October 7 victims and festival survivors claimed that the agency violated US anti-terrorism laws by allegedly aiding Hamas and employing independent press photographers who participated in the organization’s October 7th attack.
Following investigations about a month post-attack, it was revealed that AP and Reuters photographers, along with other international media personnel, documented the Hamas terrorist assault. AP responded by stating that they had no prior knowledge of the attacks, emphasizing their role in gathering information about global news events, even amidst horror and mass casualties. They acknowledged using images from freelance photographers worldwide, including Gaza. Reuters similarly denied prior knowledge of the attack, emphasizing that the photos they acquired from freelancers were taken around two hours after Hamas initiated the attack and fired rockets into Israel.
Source: {Matzav.com Israel}