Reuters Photojournalist Quits Over Agency’s ‘Betrayal of Journalists’

Date: 26 August 2025 - 22:17

News ID: ۱۴۲۸۷۲

LONDON (Dispatches) -- A photojournalist who worked with Reuters for eight years has publicly resigned, accusing the news agency of “enabling” the killing of Palestinian journalists in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
Valerie Zink posted an image on social media of her severed Reuters ID card, condemning the agency’s coverage of the war in Gaza as a “betrayal of journalists.”
She criticized Reuters for accepting and repeating Israeli claims that Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, killed earlier this month, was a Hamas operative—a charge she called “entirely baseless.”
Zink highlighted the recent double-tap airstrike on Nasser Hospital in Gaza, which killed at least 20 people, including five journalists such as Reuters cameraman Hossam al-Masri and Middle East Eye reporters Mohamed Salama and Ahmed Abu Aziz.
The Israeli military has claimed the hospital strike was a “mistake,” though reports from Israel’s Channel 14 suggest the attack was approved and coordinated by senior commanders.
The double-tap tactic, involving a follow-up strike targeting rescuers and journalists responding to an initial bombing, was documented in videos.
Several journalists were among the dead, including freelance reporters Mariam Dagga, Moaz Abu Taha, and Hussam al-Masri, intensifying calls for accountability.
Reuters and the Associated Press jointly demanded a “clear explanation” from Israeli officials for the killings, emphasizing that journalists were working in a protected location under international law.
The agencies criticized the Israeli military’s track record of self-investigation and urged for “urgent and transparent” accountability, warning that Israel’s repeated targeting of media feeds raises suspicions of deliberate suppression of information.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed 245 Palestinian journalists in Gaza, underscoring the dangers faced by reporters covering the conflict. Valerie Zink’s resignation brings renewed scrutiny to the role of international media in reporting on the violence.