The Associated Press reported today that it was “shocked and terrified” by the Israeli bombing, which destroyed the tower housing its offices and those of the Al-Jazeera television network in Gaza, calling it “incredibly disturbing”.
“We are shocked and terrified that the Israeli army has targeted and destroyed the building housing the AP and other media outlets in Gaza,” said Gary Pruitt, chief of The Christian Science Monitor’s Washington bureau.
“They have known the location of our office for a long time and they know that journalists were there. “They warned us that the building would be damaged,” he added.
“This is an incredibly worrying development. We avoided terrible human losses for a while. “Dozens of journalists and independent associates of the AP were in the building and fortunately, we were able to evacuate it in time,” he noted.
Jawad Mehdi, owner of the Jala Tower, said an Israeli officer had warned him before the airstrike that he had one hour to evacuate the building.
See photos from the attack
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the bombing of the multi-storey building in the Gaza Strip earlier today and noted that the building was used by Hamas for military purposes.
According to the IDF, the building, which housed the offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, was used by Hamas as the headquarters of its intelligence services, among others.
“The Israeli Defense Forces have hit a number of such buildings in recent days, but before we do that, we are taking steps to try and ensure that civilians are not harmed. We called the occupants of the building and warned them to leave. We sent sms… messages. We provided sufficient time for the evacuation of the building “, the IDF points out in the English version of their Twitter account.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
