Israel destroys Gaza tower block housing foreign media
A tower block in Gaza housing media groups including the Associated Press and Al Jazeera has been destroyed by an Israeli airstrike.
The US media organisation said that it had been warned of the impending strike and given an hour to evacuate the building.
In a statement, the Israeli military said that the block contained military assets belonging to Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The strike comes after a week of fighting between Israel’s armed forces and Palestinian militants, the worst escalation of tensions since 2014.
The latter says that 139 Palestinians have been killed so far, and Israeli medics have confirmed 10 fatalities. Attempts to establish a ceasefire between the two sides have as yet come to nothing.
AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said he was “shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organizations in Gaza.” He added that AP is seeking information from the Israeli government.
On Twitter, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: “We have communicated directly to the Israelis that ensuring the safety and security of journalists and independent media is a paramount responsibility.”
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