We issued the following statement today after the Israeli military fired at least one missile directly at Al-Shuruq Tower, a building in Gaza City which houses dozens of international newspapers, television stations, and news agencies, according to multiple news outlets.
Initial reports indicate that at least two journalists have been injured in the attack. A fire in the basement of the building has destroyed a power generator and has disrupted communications equipment, according to multiple sources. On January 9, the Israeli military bombed another Gaza City building that houses media organizations.
“We are gravely concerned about the attack on the Al-Shuruq Tower, the second on a media installation in less that a week,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon “The Israeli military had been given the coordinates of these buildings and assured news organizations that they would not be targeted. The military must immediately explain its actions, and must provide public assurances that media installations will not be targeted in the future, in accordance with international law. Combined with the targeting of Palestinian media and the ban on access for international reporters to Gaza, this latest strike gives the impression that the Israeli military is fighting a war against information.”