A Reuters statement denies any knowledge of the Hamas attack on Israel that began on 7 October. The denial is published on the agency’s website, clarifying that Reuters did not anticipate the assault and did not have advance information about it. The piece notes that two independent photographers from Gaza supplied images captured along the Israeli border on the morning of October 7, and emphasizes that Reuters had no prior relationship with these photographers.
The photographs Reuters published were taken roughly two hours after Hamas launched rockets into southern Israel and about 45 minutes after Israel indicated that militants had crossed the border. The timing is described as contemporaneous with the unfolding events, not as a forecast or pre-knowledge by Reuters or its editors.
Associated Press issued a separate statement reinforcing that it did not possess advance knowledge of the Hamas attack. AP spokesperson Nicole Mair stated that the agency relies on footage shot by freelancers around the world, including material from Gaza, and that it did not preplan the use of any specific clips related to the incident.
On November 9, HonestReporting, a pro-Israel media monitoring group, suggested that journalists at many major outlets, including Reuters and AP, may have had advance awareness of Hamas’s impending operation. The group points to the presence of a photographer at the scene on the morning of October 7 as indicative of prior knowledge, though Reuters and AP have not confirmed such a claim themselves.
Observers note the broader media environment in which multiple outlets draw on freelance shooters and on-the-ground footage. The discussions highlight questions about sourcing, verification, and the potential for blurred lines between reporting and real-time narrative in fast-moving crises. In this context, the role of independent photographers and the reliability of initial material are repeatedly examined, with outlets stressing that they do not rely on a single source or a fixed pool of contributors.
Overall, the exchanges reflect ongoing scrutiny of how major news agencies report breaking events, how they verify footage, and how they communicate updates when details are still emerging. The emphasis remains on transparency about sourcing and on the commitment to accurate, timely coverage in a rapidly evolving situation, rather than on presuming foreknowledge or preplanning for content tied to a specific incident. Attributions in coverage continue to evolve as editors seek to balance speed with verification, especially in volatile regional conflicts where information can change by the hour.