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Foreign Media Journalists in Gaza Participated in Hamas’ ‘Loyalty’ Day
An aerial view shows the bodies of victims of an attack following a mass infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip lying on the ground in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, in southern Israel, Oct. 10, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg
Journalists working for foreign media outlets in Gaza have participated in Hamas’ “Day of Loyalty to the Palestinian Journalist” — an annual event hosted by the terror group’s Government Media Office with the stated aim of aligning the media with Hamas’ agenda — an exclusive HonestReporting investigation revealed.
Here are the highlights:
AP’s staff photographer Hatem Moussa delivered a video address at Hamas’ 2014 Loyalty Day event. It appears that his message was displayed on the same screen as the message of Abu Ubaida, the terror group’s military wing spokesperson. It was also published in propaganda style by Hamas’ official news agency.
AP’s photographer Fatima Shbair and AFP’s Mohammed Baba spoke in a promotional video for the 2021 event, in which they were also honored by Hamas for receiving international awards.
Two journalists were honored in the 2021 event as Hamas media office’s “work partners:” Yasser Qudih, who infiltrated into Israel on October 7 and recently won the Pulitzer Prize with Reuters’ photography staff, and The New York Times’ photographer Samar abu Elouf, who recently won the prestigious Polk Award.
At the 2022 event, two journalists were honored for serving on the judging panel of the Government Media Office’s media contest: Reuters cameraman Fadi Shanaa and AP’s Adel Hana, whom we exposed for teaching Hamas’ media courses.
Other journalists were honored in 2021 and 2022 for winning international awards. These included Reuters photographer Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, who recently also won the 2024 Staff Photography Pulitzer, and AP photographer Khalil Hamra.
In 2022, the terror group also gave monetary awards to two journalists who were exposed by HonestReporting for their infiltration into Israel and their links to Hamas — Hassan Eslaiah, who worked for AP and CNN, and Ashraf Amra who worked for Reuters.
The following details were compiled based on a review of Palestinian social and mainstream media. HonestReporting has reached out to the relevant media agencies for comment.
Message For Hamas
AP’s award-winning photographer Hatem Moussa, who has been working for the agency since 1998, delivered a recorded video message at Hamas’ Day of Loyalty event on December 31, 2014.
His address, in which he mainly thanked fellow journalists, was recorded after his injury in the 2014 Gaza war and posted by a colleague on Facebook.
But according to Hamas’ news agency, al-Rai, which seems to have added “context” to his words, his message was to expose “the occupation’s practices and crimes against Palestinians.”
And what’s most disturbing is that the report includes a picture of another speaker at the event, whose message was apparently displayed on the same screen: Abu Ubaida, Hamas’ military wing spokesperson, who threatened to kill Israeli hostages at the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war:
Hamas’ Abu Ubaida address
AP’s Hatem Moussa’s address.
It goes without saying that a journalist working for one of the world’s top media outlets cannot participate in an official Hamas event, nor deliver any message there while apparently sharing a stage with an armed terrorist. It compromises his objectivity and exposes disturbing ties to a proscribed terror group.
Moreover, it directly aids Hamas, which used Moussa’s appearance for its own propagandist goals.
Serving Hamas
Moussa’s colleague, AP’s photographer Fatima Shbair, followed suit. Her message, as well as that of AFP’s photographer Mohammed Baba, was included in a promotional video featuring award-winning journalists honored by Hamas in the December 31, 2021, Loyalty Day event.
Both Shbair and Baba thanked the Hamas Media Office in a gushing display of emotion, with Shbair calling its efforts “incredible” and Baba voicing hope the office will “adhere to its pledge.”
Here are the translated relevant clips from the full promo, which was shared on the Office’s Facebook page:
As long as the battle continues, we must continue conveying the truth, and getting this picture out to the world. What the Government Press Office does every year to honor Palestinian journalists and their efforts on the ground is incredible. It encourages all of the journalists to carry on with the mission.
To the Government Press Office, which every year celebrates and honors journalists and photographers, I say this: This demonstrates your connection to the journalists, and I hope you will always adhere to your pledge.
When journalists from the world’s leading news agencies appear in a propaganda video for Hamas, their journalistic integrity is as good as gone. They practically voice support and allegiance to the terror group’s agenda.
But they’re not alone.
In the 2021 and 2022 Loyalty Day events, several journalists working for international media were honored by Hamas for working with the Government Media Office, serving as judges in the Office’s media contest, or winning international awards.
In 2021, according to a Facebook Live stream posted on the Office’s page, those honored as its “work partners” were photographers Yasser Qudih and Samar Abu Elouf.
Qudih infiltrated into Israel on October 7 and recently won the Pulitzer Prize with Reuters Photography Staff, and Elouf —– who was also honored at the event for winning an international award — is a New York Times photographer, who recently won the prestigious Polk Award.
Hamas Media Office honors Yasser Qudih.
Hamas Media Office honors The New York Times’ freelancer Samar Abu Elouf.
In 2022, as seen in another Facebook Live of the annual event, Hamas honored AP’s veteran photographer Adel Hana and Reuters cameraman Fadi Shanaa, for serving on a judging panel for one of its media contests. Both donned an official scarf of the Hamas Government Media Office:
Hamas Media Office honors AP’s Adel Hana.
Hamas Media Office honors Reuters’ Fadi Shanaa.
Elouf’s and Hana’s commendation by Hamas is hardly surprising — Elouf had also spoken at a Hamas event she was honored at in 2012, as revealed by media analyst Eitan Fischberger.
And Hana was exposed by HonesReporting last July as having instructed media training courses supervised by the Hamas-run Information Ministry.
But the fact that they and other foreign media journalists in Gaza have actively served the Hamas government as “work partners” or official judges paints an even darker picture, equivalent to serving the Nazi propaganda ministry of Joseph Goebbels. Because those chosen for such positions are most likely those who abide by the standards that serve the propagandist terrorists, not the standards of ethical journalism.
Other journalists in the 2021 and 2022 events played a more passive yet unethical role by receiving honors for winning international awards. These included Reuters photographer Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, who recently also won the 2024 Staff Photography Pulitzer, and AP photographer Khalil Hamra.
How objective can their coverage of Hamas be after receiving such honors from them?
Hamas Media Office honors Reuters freelancer Ibraheem Abu Mustafa.
Hamas Media Office honors AP’s Khalil Hamra.
Lastly, Hamas has also given monetary awards to show its “loyalty” to Gazan journalists — making it clear that the equation is in fact the opposite.
Among those receiving the de-facto bribery in 2022 were two journalists exposed by HonestReporting last year: Hassan Eslaiah, who infiltrated into Israel on October 7 and was fired from CNN and AP after the exposure of his cozy photo with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. And Ashraf Amra, who worked for Reuters and shared a call on social media to infiltrate into the Jewish state.
No Transparency
The fact that the “Loyalty Day for the Palestinian Journalist” is organized by a so-called “government” body (as opposed to a military one) shouldn’t confuse anyone — the media office is de-facto run by Hamas.
And the office’s head, Salama Maarouf, is a Hamas official who shares podiums with figures like Ghazi Hamad, who vowed to repeat the October 7 massacre, in which 1,200 people were slaughtered in Israel:
Head of Hamas Government Media Office, Salama Maarouf (middle), delivering statement near Hamas official Ghazi Hamad (right).
Because these figures are in power, the extravagant show of “loyalty” to journalists in Gaza is in fact a show of deterrence to anyone who is not loyal to Hamas’ agenda.
For example, here is what Maarouf said back in 2015 about the purpose of the Loyalty Day:
Marouf explained that the “Day of Loyalty to the Palestinian Journalist” has been firmly established as part of the Palestinian national agenda, not just the media’s, emphasizing that the compass of the resistance should also be the compass of the Palestinian journalist.
The conclusion is clear: Whether they willingly cooperated with Hamas or not, these Gaza journalists cannot be objective. The give-and-take relationship with the terror group is too deep and official to detach from.
International media outlets must be transparent about the fact that their news from Gaza is one-sided.
They should also look into their journalists’ official and personal relations with Hamas, and discipline those who actively cooperate with the terrorists.
News consumers deserve nothing less.
HonestReporting is a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
The post Foreign Media Journalists in Gaza Participated in Hamas’ ‘Loyalty’ Day first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Switzerland Moves to Close Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s Geneva Office Over Legal Irregularities
Palestinians carry aid supplies received from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in the central Gaza Strip, May 29, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed/File Photo
Switzerland has moved to shut down the Geneva office of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed aid group, citing legal irregularities in its establishment.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza in late May, implementing a new aid delivery model aimed at preventing the diversion of supplies by Hamas, as Israel continues its defensive military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group.
The initiative has drawn criticism from the UN and international organizations, some of which have claimed that Jerusalem is causing starvation in the war-torn enclave.
Israel has vehemently denied such accusations, noting that, until its recently imposed blockade, it had provided significant humanitarian aid in the enclave throughout the war.
Israeli officials have also said much of the aid that flows into Gaza is stolen by Hamas, which uses it for terrorist operations and sells the rest at high prices to Gazan civilians.
With a subsidiary registered in Geneva, the GHF — headquartered in Delaware — reports having delivered over 56 million meals to Palestinians in just one month.
According to a regulatory announcement published Wednesday in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce, the Federal Supervisory Authority for Foundations (ESA) may order the dissolution of the GHF if no creditors come forward within the legal 30-day period.
The Trump administration did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Swiss decision to shut down its Geneva office.
“The GHF confirmed to the ESA that it had never carried out activities in Switzerland … and that it intends to dissolve the Geneva-registered branch,” the ESA said in a statement.
Last week, Geneva authorities gave the GHF a 30-day deadline to address legal shortcomings or risk facing enforcement measures.
Under local laws and regulations, the foundation failed to meet several requirements: it did not appoint a board member authorized to sign documents domiciled in Switzerland, did not have the minimum three board members, lacked a Swiss bank account and valid address, and operated without an auditing body.
The GHF operates independently from UN-backed mechanisms, which Hamas has sought to reinstate, arguing that these vehicles are more neutral.
Israeli and American officials have rejected those calls, saying Hamas previously exploited UN-run systems to siphon aid for its war effort.
The UN has denied those allegations while expressing concerns that the GHF’s approach forces civilians to risk their safety by traveling long distances across active conflict zones to reach food distribution points.
The post Switzerland Moves to Close Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s Geneva Office Over Legal Irregularities first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Key US Lawmaker Warns Ireland of Potential Economic Consequences for ‘Antisemitic Path’ Against Israel
US Sen. James Risch (R-ID) speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Washington, DC, May 21, 2024. Photo: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch (R-ID) issued a sharp warning Tuesday, accusing Ireland of embracing antisemitism and threatening potential economic consequences if the Irish government proceeds with new legislation targeting Israeli trade.
“Ireland, while often a valuable U.S. partner, is on a hateful, antisemitic path that will only lead to self-inflicted economic suffering,” Risch wrote in a post on X. “If this legislation is implemented, America will have to seriously reconsider its deep and ongoing economic ties. We will always stand up to blatant antisemitism.”
Marking a striking escalation in rhetoric from a senior US lawmaker, Risch’s comments came amid growing tensions between Ireland and Israel, which have intensified dramatically since the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Those attacks, in which roughly 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 200 taken hostage, prompted a months-long Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has drawn widespread international scrutiny. Ireland has positioned itself as one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s response, accusing the Israeli government of disproportionate use of force and calling for immediate humanitarian relief and accountability for the elevated number of Palestinian civilian casualties.
Dublin’s stance has included tangible policy shifts. In May 2024, Ireland formally recognized a Palestinian state, becoming one of the first European Union members to do so following the outbreak of the war in Gaza. The move was condemned by Israeli officials, who recalled their ambassador to Ireland and accused the Irish government of legitimizing terrorism. Since then, Irish lawmakers have proposed further measures, including legislation aimed at restricting imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, policies viewed in Israel and among many American lawmakers as aligning with the controversial Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
While Irish leaders have defended their approach as grounded in international law and human rights, critics in Washington, including Risch, have portrayed it as part of a broader pattern of hostility toward Israel. Some US lawmakers have begun raising the possibility of reevaluating trade and diplomatic ties with Ireland in response.
Risch’s warning is one of the clearest indications yet that Ireland’s policies toward Israel could carry economic consequences. The United States is one of Ireland’s largest trading partners, and American companies such as Apple, Google, Meta and Pfizer maintain substantial operations in the country, drawn by Ireland’s favorable tax regime and access to the EU market.
Though the Trump administration has not echoed Risch’s warning, the remarks reflect growing unease in Washington about the trajectory of Ireland’s foreign policy. The State Department has maintained a careful balancing act, expressing strong support for Israel’s security while calling for increased humanitarian access in Gaza. Officials have stopped short of condemning Ireland’s actions directly but have expressed concern about efforts they see as isolating Israel on the international stage.
Ireland’s stance is emblematic of a growing international divide over the war. While the US continues to provide military and diplomatic backing to Israel, many European countries have called for an immediate ceasefire and investigations into alleged war crimes.
Irish public opinion has long leaned pro-Palestinian, and Irish lawmakers have repeatedly voiced concern over the scale of destruction in Gaza and the dire humanitarian situation.
Irish officials have not yet responded to The Algemeiner’s request for comment.
The post Key US Lawmaker Warns Ireland of Potential Economic Consequences for ‘Antisemitic Path’ Against Israel first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel Condemns Iran’s Suspension of IAEA Cooperation, Urges Europe to Reinstate UN Sanctions
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar at a press conference in Berlin, Germany, June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Christian Mang/File Photo
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Wednesday condemned Iran’s decision to halt cooperation with the UN’s nuclear watchdog and called on the international community to reinstate sanctions to curb Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),” Saar wrote in a post on X. “This is a complete renunciation of all its international nuclear obligations and commitments.”
Last week, the Iranian parliament voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA “until the safety and security of [the country’s] nuclear activities can be guaranteed.”
“The IAEA and its Director-General are fully responsible for this sordid state of affairs,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X.
The top Iranian diplomat said this latest decision was “a direct result of [IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi’s] regrettable role in obfuscating the fact that the Agency — a full decade ago — already closed all past issues.
“Through this malign action,” Araghchi continued, “he directly facilitated the adoption of a politically-motivated resolution against Iran by the IAEA [Board of Governors] as well as the unlawful Israeli and US bombings of Iranian nuclear sites.”
The Parliament of Iran has voted for a halt to collaboration with the IAEA until the safety and security of our nuclear activities can be guaranteed.
This is a direct result of @rafaelmgrossi‘s regrettable role in obfuscating the fact that the Agency—a full decade ago—already…
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 27, 2025
On Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian approved a bill banning UN nuclear inspectors from entering the country until the Supreme National Security Council decides that there is no longer a threat to the safety of its nuclear sites.
In response, Saar urged European countries that were part of the now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal to activate its “snapback” clause and reinstate all UN sanctions lifted under the agreement.
Officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), this accord between Iran and several world powers imposed temporary restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
During his first term, US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and reinstated unilateral sanctions on Iran.
“The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now! I call upon the E3 countries — Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!” Saar wrote in a post on X.
“The international community must act decisively now and utilize all means at its disposal to stop Iranian nuclear ambitions,” he continued.
The time to activate the Snapback mechanism is now!
I call upon the E3 countries- Germany, France and the UK to reinstate all sanctions against Iran!
Iran has just issued a scandalous announcement about suspending its cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy…— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) July 2, 2025
Saar’s latest remarks come after Araghchi met last week in Geneva with his counterparts from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas — their first meeting since the Iran-Israel war began.
Europe is actively urging Iran to reengage in talks with the White House to prevent further escalation of tensions, but has yet to address the issue of reinstating sanctions.
Speaking during an official visit to Latvia on Tuesday, Saar said that “Operation Rising Lion” — Israel’s sweeping military campaign aimed at dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities — has “revealed the full extent of the Iranian regime’s threat to Israel, Europe, and the global order.”
“Iran deliberately targeted civilian population centers with its ballistic missiles,” Saar said at a press conference. “The same missile threat can reach Europe, including Latvia and the Baltic states.”
“Israel’s actions against the head of the snake in Iran contributed directly to the safety of Europe,” the Israeli top diplomat continued, adding that Israeli strikes have set back the Iranian nuclear program by many years.
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