At the outset of the Israel-Hamas war, Gaza photojournalists working for the international media operated near Hamas terrorists in Shifa Hospital — but excluded them from their photos, according to a visual analysis by HonestReporting.

The analysis, which reveals an alarming photo bias, focused on one day of coverage — October 11, 2023 — and showed that tens of Hamas terrorists were present at the hospital, where they kept a watchful eye over the media and managed the arrival of wounded into the emergency room.

The terrorists were clearly seen in wire service videos and social media posts from that day. But they don’t appear in the still photos distributed by Reuters, AP, or The New York Times, whose photojournalists at the site chose to leave the terrorists out of the frame and include only the wounded and dead.

Videos Vs. Photos

The analysis compared photos and videos taken on the same day and location by wire service photojournalists in Gaza. That’s because a picture may be worth a thousand words, but one can only see what’s inside the frame.

Videos, however, are dynamic. Video cameras can tilt and pan and reveal what’s outside the frame of a frozen still photo. It’s also harder to edit people out of videos.

Therefore, after we came across this Facebook reel from photojournalist Mariam Dagga (who currently works for the AP), we decided to compare photos and videos of Shifa hospital that were published by the mainstream media. That’s because the reel shows the hospital entrance was infested with Hamas forces, while dozens of journalists stood by.

We found another angle of this video in a TRT X post, which clarified it had been taken on October 11, 2023 — several days after Hamas terrorists slaughtered 1,200 people in Israel and abducted hundreds into Gaza — some of them straight into the Shifa hospital, where the terror group had an underground tunnel infrastructure. (See our Interactive Hamas tunnel map for more information.)

Then, a search on the Reuters and AP platforms revealed that the two wire agencies had sent video and stills crews to the hospital that day.

But while the videographers couldn’t avoid showing Hamas operatives both inside and outside the hospital, the still photographers only took tight images of blood-stained victims.

And here are some still photos taken by Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem with no terrorists in sight:

  

Compromised Photojournalists

This photo bias may be explained by the fact that Salem has been honored by Hamas in the past. But it is alarming that no editor noticed the discrepancy between the videos and pictures.

The same issue is apparent in the AP’s coverage at Shifa Hospital on the same date. The video shows Hamas people, one of them masked, managing the entry of wounded into the emergency room:

But the still photos, taken by Ali Mahmoud, only show victims of Israeli strikes:

 

This, too, comes as no surprise, because on October 7, 2023, Mahmoud was side by side with Hamas as he documented the abduction of Israeli hostages into Gaza.

The Reuters video also shows New York Times photojournalist Samar Abu Elouf, who stood at the entrance to the hospital, with a direct line of sight to Hamas operatives:

But instead of reporting the presence of Hamas forces at the hospital that day — which would have validated Israel’s claims against the terror group — she published a photo of Palestinians mourning their dead at the hospital along with an article about the “nightmare” that Gazans were going through:

Predictable as well, because Abu Elouf has been honored as a Hamas “work partner” in an official ceremony back in 2021.

Hiding the Truth

All of the above is a case study of just one day of coverage.

If this kind of manipulation has been going on since the beginning of the war, it’s clear that many photojournalists in Gaza shill for Hamas — out of fear or willingness.

By hiding the truth and erasing Hamas from the visuals, not only do they betray their professional mission of reporting the facts, but they also help Hamas perpetrate the war crime of hiding behind human shields in medical facilities.

Indeed, a picture is worth a thousand words. But in Gaza, what’s outside the frame is worth much more.

The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.

The post Deceit: Reuters, AP, NYT Photos of Gaza Hospital Leave Hamas Out of the Frame first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Federal authorities have warned that lone-actor attacks pose the greatest terrorism threat to Fourth of July celebrations, amid a rise in violent incidents and extremist threats across the country.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are closely monitoring potential threats ahead of July 4 festivities, raising concerns about lone-wolf attacks similar to the New Year’s car-ramming incident in New Orleans that killed 14 people.

“We are concerned about the potential threat of copycat attacks inspired by the 2025 New Year’s Day vehicle-ramming attack in New Orleans and continued [foreign terrorist organizations] messaging calling for attacks against Western targets,” a threat assessment bulletin obtained by ABC News said.

The bulletin warned that “special events with high attendance and media coverage … remain attractive targets” for both domestic and foreign terrorists, as well as violent extremists seeking to “cause mass casualties or draw attention to their causes.”

Although no specific or credible threats have been identified, authorities warn that US-based extremists and lone actors pose the greatest risk to Independence Day gatherings.

According to the bulletin, authorities are concerned about the potential use of chemicals in attacks on crowds, similar to the Boulder incident where a man threw Molotov cocktails into a group of Jewish demonstrators raising awareness about hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, killing one person and injuring 13 others.

“The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the FBI and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to ensure a safe and secure Independence Day across the nation,” a spokesperson for DHS told Newsweek.

“We are enhancing security measures and coordinating intelligence-sharing to proactively address potential risks, including those from lone wolf actors. At this time, DHS is not aware of any specific, credible threats to Fourth of July celebrations,” the agency said.

With escalating tensions in the Middle East — including the war in Gaza and Israel’s conflict with Iran — the United States has seen a rise in antisemitic attacks and terrorist threats, prompting concerns that similar violence could erupt on July 4.

“Most attackers motivated at least in part by the Israel-HAMAS conflict have selected targets with a symbolic link to Israel, houses of worship, or locations associated with houses of worship,” the threat assessment said.

“Individuals with grievances linked to the conflict could also perceive large gatherings, such as Independence Day celebrations, as opportunistic targets symbolic of the West in general,” it continued.

Two weeks before the firebombing of a march for Israeli hostages in Colorado, a gunman murdered two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, DC, as they were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum hosted by the American Jewish Committee.

The suspect charged for the double murder, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, also yelled “Free Palestine” while being arrested by local police after the shooting, according to video of the incident.

Last week, the US Department of Justice said it is closely tracking potential threats to the Jewish community nationwide amid growing concerns over Iranian sleeper cells launching attacks and the fallout from recent American and Israeli military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi reiterated the Trump administration’s recent warnings about potential Iran-linked sleeper cells and domestic radicalization, following escalating tensions in the Middle East during the 12-day Iran-Israel war.

Following the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, law enforcement agencies across the country have ramped up surveillance of Iran-backed operatives amid growing fears of retaliation.

Although no specific or credible threats have yet emerged, US Customs and Border Protection says the threat of sleeper cells has “never been higher.”

The post Federal Authorities Warn of Lone-Wolf Terror Threats Ahead of July 4 Festivities first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

The Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza has warned residents not to cooperate with the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, as the terror group seeks to reassert its grip on the enclave amid mounting international pressure to accept a US-brokered ceasefire.

“It is strictly forbidden to deal with, work for, or provide any form of assistance or cover to the American organization (GHF) or its local or foreign agents,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement Thursday.

“Legal action will be taken against anyone proven to be involved in cooperation with this organization, including the imposition of the maximum penalties stipulated in the applicable national laws,” the statement warns.

The GHF released a statement in response to Hamas’ warnings, saying the organization has delivered millions of meals “safely and without interference.”

“This statement from the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry confirms what we’ve known all along: Hamas is losing control,” the GHF said.

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.

According to their reports, the organization has delivered over 56 million meals to Palestinians in just one month.

Hamas’s latest threat comes amid growing international pressure to accept a US-backed ceasefire plan proposed by President Donald Trump, which sets a 60-day timeline to finalize the details leading to a full resolution of the conflict.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that Israel has agreed to the “necessary conditions” to finalize a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, though Israel has not confirmed this claim.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump next week in Washington, DC — his third visit in less than six months — as they work to finalize the terms of the ceasefire agreement.

Even though Trump hasn’t provided details on the proposed truce, he said Washington would “work with all parties to end the war” during the 60-day period.

“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” he wrote in a social media post.

Since the start of the war, ceasefire talks between Jerusalem and Hamas have repeatedly failed to yield enduring results.

Israeli officials have previously said they will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and goes into exile — a demand the terror group has firmly rejected.

“I am telling you — there will be no Hamas,” Netanyahu said during a speech Wednesday.

For its part, Hamas has said it is willing to release the remaining 50 hostages — fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive — in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.

While the terrorist group said it is “ready and serious” to reach a deal that would end the war, it has yet to accept this latest proposal.

In a statement, the group said it aims to reach an agreement that “guarantees an end to the aggression, the withdrawal [of Israeli forces], and urgent relief for our people in the Gaza Strip.”

According to media reports, the proposed 60-day ceasefire would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a surge in humanitarian aid, and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas, with US and mediator assurances on advancing talks to end the war — though it remains unclear how many hostages would be freed.

For Israel, the key to any deal is the release of most, if not all, hostages still held in Gaza, as well as the disarmament of Hamas, while the terror group is seeking assurances to end the war as it tries to reassert control over the war-torn enclave.

The post Hamas Warns Against Cooperation with US Relief Efforts In Bid to Restore Grip on Gaza first appeared on Algemeiner.com.