May 15, 2021
“The press is not s
afe from Israeli targeting.” This is evidenced by the reality of the situation in Gaza, which is exposed for the sixth consecutive day to a war that affects everything, even the headquarters of international news agencies and the offices of local Arab and international television networks that have not been spared from the bombing, most notably the Media Network.
US House of Representatives Member Rashida Tlaib said on Saturday, May 15th, that “Israel is targeting the headquarters of media agencies so that the world does not see the slaughter of Palestinians and war crimes.”
“The goal is that the world does not see the killing of infants, children, and their parents,” she added.
This came hours after Israeli warplanes destroyed a residential tower that housed a number of international media offices in Gaza City, including the office of Al-Jazeera TV and the American Associated Press.
Hiding the Truth…
Sami Abu Salem, a Palestinian journalist working for foreign media, was on the spot when he targeted Al-Jalaa Tower, to appear directly on Al-Jazeera English channel, saying, “The occupation destroyed the tower and prevented me from transmitting the truth message!”
He stressed that the continued targeting of the towers and their overthrowing would severely limit the display of a clear picture that shows what Israel is committing in Gaza, since these towers include the offices of major Arab and foreign media outlets, and companies providing Internet services, and which represent suitable places for them in terms of geography and technology to do their work better.
The destruction of the Al-Jalaa Tower, which was attached to 3 other towers that were in turn destroyed during the current raging war, resulted in the interruption of Internet services to a large number of press offices and residential homes.
The targeting of Gaza, imposing a tight cordon on it and preventing foreign journalists from entering it indicates the possibility of a dangerous escalation for which Israel is preparing, and therefore it wants to “isolate” Gaza away from the “eyes of the cameras” that record its crimes.
