NY Times Denies Embed Claim for Oct. 7 Attack

The New York Times issued a statement on Thursday denying accusations that the newspaper had advance knowledge of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.

Honest Reporting, a pro-Israel media watchdog group, questioned the "early morning presence" of several Gaza-based photojournalists at the scenes of the attacks on Oct. 7, noting that they work for or previously did work for major news outlets like CNN and the New York Times.

The report reads in part: "What were they doing there so early on what would ordinarily have been a quiet Saturday morning? Was it coordinated with Hamas? … Did the photojournalists who freelance for other media, like CNN and The New York Times, notify these outlets?"

The Times responded in a statement.

"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. 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 added, "There is no evidence for Honest Reporting's insinuations" about freelance photojournalist Yousef Masoud, who the Times states was not working for the newspaper on the day of the attack.

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