Tom Cotton calls for federal investigation into New York Times, CNN, AP, Reuters

News

By Jon Levine

US Senator Tom Cotton has called for a federal investigation and possible criminal charges against American media outlets accused of working with photographers linked to Hamas before the terrorist group’s attack on Israel on October 7.

The Arkansas Republican accused the New York Times, CNN, Associated Press and Reuters of knowing about the massacre, which left about 1,400 Israelis dead.

The story exploded into the public eye this week after the nonprofit Honest Reporting revealed that several Gaza-based photojournalists appeared to have participated in the terrorist rampage.

Cotton wrote to the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday warning: “Providing material support or assistance, including financing, to a terrorist organization such as Hamas is a federal crime. »

The four media groups insisted they had not been warned of the terrorist attack.

Honest Reporting said Friday it accepted the news agency’s denials.

“We asked questions, we didn’t give answers,” said the group’s executive director, Gil Hoffman. “I remain convinced that the questions were legitimate and that the responses from the media themselves were adequate.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu castigated the media for working with Hamas members, calling them “complicit in crimes against humanity.”

Both CNN and the Associated Press said they would no longer work with freelance photographer Hassan Eslaiah – who was captured in a photo receiving a smiling kiss on the cheek from Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, now known as from “butcher of Khan Younis”.

“No Times employee was embedded with Hamas, had knowledge of the attack, or played any role in the savage massacre that day,” the Times said, accusing Cotton of spreading “disinformation”.

A representative for the Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment from The Post.

With post wires.