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UK Outlet Caught Using Compromised Gaza Journalist Who Posed With Sinwar
The personal belongings of festival-goers are seen at the site of an attack on the Nova Festival by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, near Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Oct. 12, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
Media outlets should know by now that when it comes to hiring Gaza freelancers — caution is advised.
As HonestReporting has repeatedly exposed, the vast majority of foreign media journalists in the Gaza Strip are deeply compromised — some receive annual awards from Hamas and others have personal connections to the terrorists.
One of them is Hassan Eslaiah, whose memorable photo with former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar circulated online after we exposed he had infiltrated into Israel on October 7 and documented atrocities in Israeli kibbutzes.
This was enough for AP and CNN to cut ties with the so-called journalist immediately. But Sky News, it seems, didn’t bother checking his background when it recently hired him to work on a story for the network, as reported last week by Ynet News.
Sky News just “discovered” that one of its Gazan freelancers had Hamas ties. Seriously, @SkyNews?
His name is Hassan Eslaiah—the same guy we exposed over a year ago. AP and CNN already fired him last year.
Next time, try vetting your journalists before hiring them. https://t.co/hjuamQUcUE pic.twitter.com/O4hnlyFHYR
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) February 6, 2025
The network’s explanation was meant to absolve responsibility but instead revealed its low journalistic standards: the hiring was done through a third party, an independent production company.
It would have gone unnoticed had it not been for Eslaiah’s social media activity, where he posted a photo of himself with those he had covered — a United Nations team on a mine-clearing mission.
Everyone in the industry recognized him, diplomats complained, the UN was embarrassed, and Sky News had to apologize and shamefully admit that they had no idea who was working for the network in one of the most sensitive locations in the Middle East.
And it’s not like Eslaiah was unemployed until then: Last month his footage of the appalling handover of Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud was heavily used by local and international media.
Whose footage did @BBCNews & others use from the heart of the appalling crowd scenes when Hamas released Israeli hostage Arbel Yehoud?
Which Gazan photojournalist has that sort of access?
Hint: It’s not the first time he’s cozied up to terrorists to get the shots.
Find out
pic.twitter.com/yYBQ6XPeSn
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) January 30, 2025
Many questions arise: How did this happen? Who are the editors-in-charge in Sky News who thought it possible to delegate stories without knowing to whom? Will they be reprimanded? Will the network pay Eslaiah? Is there any other way to cover stories in Gaza without using compromised journalists?
Admittedly, Sky News said it won’t use Eslaiah’s material. But what’s going to happen in a year or two? When a new boss arrives and demands a good story from Gaza that only “journalists” like Eslaiah can have access to?
Media outlets should have a blacklist of those in the region who cannot be considered professional journalists.
If they really care about the truth, they should think twice before hiring freelancers in Gaza, and Google the name of each individual who promises professional coverage from the terror-ruled enclave.
Chances are they will land on an HonestReporting expose proving why such individuals should not be providing services to any respectable foreign media outlet.
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 UK Outlet Caught Using Compromised Gaza Journalist Who Posed With Sinwar first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy
Thomas Barrack at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., November 4, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo
i24 News – Lebanon’s daunting social, economic and political issues would not get resolved unless the state persists in the efforts to disarm Hezbollah, the Iranian proxy behind so much of the unrest and destruction, special US envoy Tom Barrack told The National.
“You have Israel on one side, you have Iran on the other, and now you have Syria manifesting itself so quickly that if Lebanon doesn’t move, it’s going to be Bilad Al Sham again,” he said, using the historical Arabic name for the region sometimes known as “larger Syria.”
The official stressed the need to follow through on promises to disarm the Iranian proxy, which suffered severe blows from Israel in the past year, including the elimination of its entire leadership, and is considered a weakened though still dangerous jihadist outfit.
“There are issues that we have to arm wrestle with each other over to come to a final conclusion. Remember, we have an agreement, it was a great agreement. The problem is, nobody followed it,” he told The National.
Barrack spoke on the heels of a trip to Beirut, where he proposed a diplomatic plan for the region involving the full disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese state.
The post Lebanon Must Disarm Hezbollah to Have a Shot at Better Days, Says US Envoy first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of a cultural forum dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Fragi, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 11, 2024. Photo: Sputnik/Alexander Scherbak/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Iranian leadership that he supports the idea of a nuclear deal in which Iran is unable to enrich uranium, the Axios website reported on Saturday. The Russian strongman also relayed the message to his American counterpart, President Donald Trump, the report said.
Iranian news agency Tasnim issued a denial, citing an “informed source” as saying Putin had not sent any message to Iran in this regard.
Also on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that “Any negotiated solution must respect Iran’s right to enrichment. No agreement without recognizing our right to enrichment. If negotiations occur, the only topic will be the nuclear program. No other issues, especially defense or military matters, will be on the agenda.”
The post Report: Putin Urges Iran to Accept ‘Zero Enrichment’ Nuclear Deal With US first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa speaks during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq/Pool
i24 News – Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is attending at least one meeting with Israeli officials in Azerbaijan today, despite sources in Damascus claiming he wasn’t attending, a Syrian source close to President Al-Sharaa tells i24NEWS.
The Syrian source stated that this is a series of two or three meetings between the sides, with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also in attendance, along with Ahmed Al-Dalati, the Syrian government’s liaison for security meetings with Israel.
The high-level Israeli delegation includes a special envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as security and military figures.
The purpose of the meetings is to discuss further details of the security agreement to be signed between Israel and Syria, the Iranian threat in Syria and Lebanon, Hezbollah’s weapons, the weapons of Palestinian militias, the Palestinians camps in Lebanon, and the future of Palestinian refugees from Gaza in the region.
The possibility of opening an Israeli coordination office in Damascus, without diplomatic status, might also be discussed.
The source stated that the decision to hold the meetings in Azerbaijan, made by Israel and the US, is intended to send a message to Iran.
The post Syria’s Al-Sharaa Attending At Least One Meeting With Israeli Officials in Azerbaijan first appeared on Algemeiner.com.