The cause in this case is almost certainly intentional. The NYT has a documented history of publishing Israeli state propaganda as fact without any independent verification.

https://theintercept.com/2024/02/28/new-york-times-anat-schwartz-october-7/

It’s also not like Israel allows the press to operate freely. They actively suppress and censor reporters.

https://cpj.org/2025/12/under-the-radar-israel-steps-up-censorship-and-suppression-of-independent-reporting/

Worse, if they can’t censor a journalist then they’ll simply assassinate them and often murder their entire family.

https://www.un.org/unispal/document/un-human-rights-office-condemns-targeting-journalists-and-attacks-on-hospitals/

For the NYT, reporting an Israeli claim as fact in this way is journalistic malpractice. But what can we really expect from a paper that has been convincing US liberals that American war crimes are actually a good thing? They were even publishing articles in support of this war once it became clear what Trump’s intentions were.