An Israeli airstrike destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other media on Saturday, the latest step by the military to silence reporting from the territory amid its battle with the militant group Hamas. (May 15) YouTube Tips ⓘ
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) on Saturday, May 15, 2021 targeted the 11-story Al Jalaa building in Gaza, which provided office space for Al Jazeera and Associated Press journalists, and a number of other offices and apartments. The Al Jalaa building was hit by at least 4 missiles, approximately one hour after Israeli forces called the building’s owner, warning of the attack and advising all occupants to evacuate. While some occupants begged for additional time to remove cameras and equipment, the Israeli military refused and the missile attack caused the collapse of the building.
Gary Pruitt, CEO of Associated Press, said the AP news agency was “shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organizations in Gaza.” Pruitt also said that “the world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today.”
An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed the Army struck the media building, saying it contained “Hamas military intelligence”. Israel says they have shown the United States evidence that Hamas operated inside the building.
Some personnel from Al Jazeera and Associated Press claimed they never saw any signs that Hamas was using the building.
Also on Saturday, more than 100 people were declared dead in the Israel-Gaza violence.
We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organizations in Gaza. They have long known the location of our bureau and knew journalists were there. We received a warning that the building would be hit.
The Israeli government says the building contained Hamas military intelligence assets. We have called on the Israeli government to put forward the evidence. AP’s bureau has been in this building for 15 years. We have had no indication Hamas was in the building or active in the building. This is something we actively check to the best of our ability. We would never knowingly put our journalists at risk.
We are seeking information from the Israeli government and are engaged with the U.S. State Department to try to learn more.
This is an incredibly disturbing development. We narrowly avoided a terrible loss of life. A dozen AP journalists and freelancers were inside the building and thankfully we were able to evacuate them in time.
The world will know less about what is happening in Gaza because of what happened today.
Israel is defending its latest airstrike in Gaza, claiming the tower that was hit was being used by Hamas. The high-rise building had housed several media outlets. Diplomatic correspondent at Walla News in Israel and Axios contributing correspondent Barak Ravid joins CBSN to discuss the latest. YouTube Tips ⓘ
A building that has housed international media offices including Al Jazeera’s in the Gaza Strip was hit by an Israeli air strike that totally demolished the structure. YouTube Tips ⓘ
Chief of the General Staff LTG Aviv Kohavi Delivers Special Message: “We are defending the citizens of Israel… and we will do everything to protect them.” YouTube Tips ⓘ
Sky News Host Rowan Dean spoke out against ‘Orwellian lefty lunacy’ and the “woke left” idea that Israel’s defense of its citizens is “disproportionate” due to complicated historical reasons, and that says that Israel should ‘allow citizens to be terrorized’
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Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst reports from the Israel-Gaza border, and National Review’s David Harsanyi slams the ‘Squad’ for using Hamas talking points on ‘Fox Business Tonight’ Saturday, May 15, 2021. YouTube Tips ⓘ
Financial analyst and political advisor Morgan Ortagus who served as spokesperson for the United States Department of State from 2019 to 2021: “Squad members are parroting Hamas talking points.” YouTube Tips ⓘ
“Israel has a right to exist and to defend itself. That’s a fact. The same is true for Palestinians – that point seems to get missed.
Palestinians are, at best, third class citizens in the nation of their birth. The Israeli government, on an ongoing basis, declares parcels of land on which Palestinians live to be either of military or archeological importance, causing residents to be evicted. Sometimes there’s a court case, and almost always, the Palestinians lose. Yet months or weeks later, that same “important” land suddenly becomes home to a brand-new Israeli settlement. As more and more Jewish settlers take over land on which Arabs lived, the Occupied West Bank becomes de facto more Israeli and, in the explicit hopes of the Israeli government, more Jewish. This is a long-standing and deliberate attempt to force Arabs – who have lived in that land sometimes for hundreds of years – out. It is an attempt to dilute their presence, because to have Arabs as full participants is, in the opinion of the Israeli government and courts, diluting Israel.”— Senior Economic and Business Correspondent for NBC News Ali Velshi
Senior Economic and Business Correspondent for NBC News Ali Velshi on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: The Right To Exist Goes Both Ways | MSNBC YouTube Tips ⓘ
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will “do whatever it takes to restore order and the security of our people.” YouTube Tips ⓘ