Interview - Why It Is Better To Be Right Than First: War Reporting With Trey Yingst

Dec 8, 2025

Trey Yingst, Fox News chief foreign correspondent and bestselling author, shares gripping insights from his frontline experiences in war reporting. He discusses the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing the need for accuracy over speed. Trey recounts a life-saving decision made on October 7, details the restricted media access in Gaza, and how he verifies information amidst chaos. He reflects on the human stories often overlooked in conflicts, and explores the challenges of covering trauma while advocating for nuanced journalism.

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INSIGHT

Ceasefire Is Only The Start

The ceasefire sits between phase one and phase two with Hamas required to release more hostages before deeper implementation begins.
Phase two contemplates disarming Hamas, an international stabilization force, and technocratic governance in Gaza.

INSIGHT

Hamas Is Weakened But Persistent

Hamas has been reduced from a large rocket arsenal to limited rockets and guerrilla capabilities with destroyed production sites.
They lack reliable resupply and remain a diminished but still dangerous militia.

ADVICE

Push For Independent Gaza Access

Press access to Gaza is crucial for independent reporting and remains restricted without an Israeli military embed.
Advocate persistently for journalists to be allowed independent entry to verify and report civilian realities.

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Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst joined Mosh after returning from Israel to break down the fragile ceasefire, the behind the scenes of war reporting, how he deals with the trauma of what he reports on, and the split-second decision that saved his life on October 7, 2023.

Yingst’s guiding philosophy after a decade in conflict zones: humanize civilians, avoid sweeping conclusions, and stay relentlessly accurate — even when everyone online demands you pick a side.

Yingst explains what’s happening between Israel and Hamas right now, and details the effective media blackout in Gaza, and how he verifies information through contacts inside the enclave. Yingst walks through how he looks to get the story right, the pressures of real-time reporting, and the importance of old-school verification.

He revisits October 7th, including his book, ⁠'Black Saturday,'⁠ about the attack and the aftermath, and he reflects on what both Israelis and Palestinians are actually experiencing on the ground and why most people in the region aren’t consumed by war despite global perceptions.

The conversation also covers:

What remains of Hamas and whether Arab states can shape a post-war Gaza
Why the world fixates on Israel-Palestine
His reporting during the chaotic Kabul evacuation
How he deals with the trauma of what he covers
Trump’s nontraditional diplomacy and Jared Kushner’s growing role
Where Ukraine-Russia peace talks stand and whether Putin has any incentive to stop fighting
Rising global antisemitism and how it’s viewed inside Israel
The role of social media in modern war reporting

Mosheh Oinounou (⁠⁠⁠@mosheh⁠⁠⁠) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.