Five years ago, CAMERA presented evidence to the Associated Press that the news agency was relying on the photojournalism of someone who “openly identifies with Hamas’ political platform and is a rabid anti-Semite who praises terrorists and expresses joy over the murder of innocent and unarmed Israelis.” That someone was Hassan Eslayeh (also sometimes spelled Isleih and Eslaiah), a freelancer who has worked for Hamas-linked Quds TV. Eslayeh has continued to serve as a regular contributor to major international news outlets, including not only the Associated Press but also CNN.
In our 2018 article, we documented AP’s failure to disclose his association with the Hamas terrorist organization, even as the news service cited him as supposed independent verification of a dubious Hamas claim that Israel was responsible for the death of four-year-old Ahmed Abu Abed, reportedly fatally injured at a Gaza border clash. CAMERA’s Tamar Sternthal warned at the time, “When media outlets fail to disclose information about their sources, news consumers have valid concerns about the credibility of journalists presented as eyewitnesses.”
Sternthal’s warning was prescient, as Mr. Eslayeh was again used as a source by Western news companies during the October 7 Massacre. Below, we translate what he had to say on that terrible day. What you will find in his X/Twitter posts is not journalism but a celebration of carnage. He expresses exactly what we said five years ago, “joy over the murder of innocent and unarmed Israelis.” That news agencies continue to rely on a Hamas operative for their information, despite having been clearly warned by CAMERA that he is an extremist who cannot be treated as an impartial source, should be a wake-up call to both the media industry and the news consumers who count on it.
“Storming the Settlements” is a “Beautiful Thing”
Tweet: “An indescribable sight”
The translation for the first 10 seconds of the video (the relevant part) is as follows: “You know, the beautiful thing about storming the settlements: the civilians, the people, they go [out] on foot and come back driving, be it a motorcycle, a scooter or a car – [one can] grab and load trophies.” Watch:
Celebration of Hamas “Warriors”
Tweet: “Settlers hide inside a garbage container in fear of the warriors of al-Qassam battalions”
Israeli Deaths are a Divine Blessing
Tweet: “Our Lord bless” (as he receives more information about the attack).
Rocket War Crimes are “Resistance”
Tweet: “A rocket of the resistance directly hits a building in Ashqelon”
Israel is “The Occupation”; Hamas Terrorism is “Battle”
Tweet: “The occupation officially acknowledges that the number of Zionist deaths has risen to 200 and more than 1,100 wounded since the beginning of the battle
Celebration of “Settlers” in Body Bags
Tweet: “Bodies of settlers killed by the fire of Gaza’s resistance fighters during the #alAqsaFloodBattle”
Dead Israelis Are “Settlers”
Tweet: “Cleared for publication: 15 settlers of the residents of the Netiv Ha’asara Kibbutz were killed at the hands of al-Qassam warriors”
