IDF: Building housing media orgs was Hamas military intelligence base
The Israel Defence Forces on Saturday conducted an airstrike against a high-rise building in Gaza City, which, according to the IDF, served as a Hamas military intelligence base.
Photo by Majdi Fathi/TPS
The building, also housing the offices of several media organizations, including the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, was demolished in the strike.
The IDF stated that the building contained Hamas research and intelligence units “responsible for a number of terrorist acts carried out against Israel,” and that Hamas had been “hiding behind [the media organizations] and using them as human shields.” The building also housed offices of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, an IDF statement read.
All journalists and residents had successfully been evacuated from the building after the IDF had informed the tower’s owner one hour prior to the strike and sent SMS to the inhabitants. The IDF also conducted a warning “roof knock” strike, in which non-explosive or low-yield devices are dropped on the roof of targeted buildings before strikes to allow civilians to evacuate the building.
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists accused the IDF of “deliberately targeting media facilities in order to disrupt coverage of the human suffering in Gaza.” The IDF, meanwhile, stated that the building had become a “lawful military target under international law” due to it housing Hamas infrastructure.
TPS
