ISRAEL BOMBS GAZA BUILDING USED BY AL JAZEERA AND ASSOCIATED PRESS AFTER ONE-HOUR ULTIMATUM

Sat 15 May 2021:

Israel on Saturday launched air strikes on the Al-Jalaa Tower in Gaza, a 12-storey residential building also used by Al Jazeera, the Associated Press and other international and local media.

The Israeli army had given Al Jazeera channel and other media outlets one hour ultimatum to evacuate the building in the besieged Gaza Strip ahead of a possible air strike, the channel said in a live update.

Israel bombs Gaza building used by Al Jazeera and Associated Press after one-hour ultimatum#Gaza #Israel #Palestine #AlAqsaMosque #Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/TRlRxeixxq

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) May 15, 2021

Al Jazeera correspondent said the offices have been used by the channel for the past 15 years, and that the staff has not been able to empty the offices of important archives and equipment.

After working tremendously hard over the past two weeks to report to the world the events in Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, the Palestinian Territories, and in Israel, our offices are threatened with a 1 hour notice to vacate their office for it to be bombed!#JournalismIsNotACrime

— Mohamed Moawad محمد مُعوّض (@moawady) May 15, 2021

Al Jazeera has aired a phone call between the building’s owner and an Israeli intelligence officer, asking to be given more time to evacuate equipment from the offices, but the officer has declined the request.

Several journalists are posting live tweets expressing outrage at the Israeli bombardment and the short notice.