Photojournalists omit Hamas presence in Gaza hospital coverage

In the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, on October 11, 2023, Gaza photojournalists working for international media were found to have excluded the presence of Hamas members from their photographs taken at Shifa Hospital. The analysis conducted by HonestReporting highlights that on this day, numerous Hamas terrorists were visibly present at the hospital, overseeing the admittance of wounded individuals and managing the area. Despite their visible presence in videos and social media posts, these militants were absent from the still photographs distributed by major news agencies such as Reuters, Associated Press, and The New York Times. The investigation noted that photojournalists took photos that focused exclusively on the aftermath of the violence, leaving out the context of Hamas's involvement. For instance, New York Times photojournalist Samar Abu Elouf published images depicting the mourning of victims but failed to include any indication of Hamas’s control over the situation at the hospital. This omission raises questions regarding the integrity and objectivity of their reports. Moreover, some of the photojournalists involved in this coverage have faced claims of being compromised due to their past ties with Hamas. Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem has previously been honored by the group, leading to concerns about how such affiliations might influence reporting. This pattern of selective imagery could reflect a broader trend where journalists may feel pressured to conform to certain narratives or suppress information due to the environment in Gaza. The analysis suggests that the consistent exclusion of Hamas from visual reports not only misrepresents the realities on the ground but also aids in perpetuating the narrative that Hamas is not operational within vital infrastructure like hospitals. By failing to depict their presence, media coverage risks enabling Hamas’s tactics of using medical facilities as shields, further complicating the narrative surrounding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.