AFP reiterates its unswerving support for its colleagues in Gaza working in the most difficult conditions imaginable, amid reports concerning certain photographs taken on October 7, the day of the Hamas attack against Israel.

An American site, HonestReporting, started the controversy on Thursday when it wrote that the presence of several Gaza-based photographers, who took photos for international media and who it said were on the scene particularly quickly, raised “ethical questions.”

This site did not mention AFP but certain publications on social media in France have since done so.

“Any suggestion of collusion between our journalists in Gaza and Hamas during the 7 October attack is disgraceful and defamatory and we reserve the right to take any action, including legal action, as a result,” said AFP Global News Director Phil Chetwynd.

“By the time the first photos arrived, it was clear a major news story was already underway. We covered it as we would cover any major news story,” said Chetwynd.

“They were simply following the breaking news story as it unfolded on the ground,” added Chetwynd.