Associated Press and Al-Jazeera offices in a Gaza building were among those destroyed following an Israeli airstrike:
So stunned. Our @AP bureau in Gaza has been destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. https://t.co/nMBKLOnSNR
— Julie Pace (@jpaceDC) May 15, 2021
⭕ LIVE footage of the moment an Israeli air raid bombed the offices of Al Jazeera and The Associated Press in Gaza City ⬇️
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/RvtP1lEX1x pic.twitter.com/RBO1ZiDAl0
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 15, 2021
First of all, the media’s destruction narrative from the past year-plus has changed a great deal:
*Rioters destroy small businesses.
Media – "We cannot equate the loss of life with the loss of property. This is not violence."
*Israel levels empty tower where media is sharing office space with Hamas
Media – "Literally the worst thing Israel has ever done"
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) May 15, 2021
Surely you have insurance. https://t.co/URiyVeneND
— Anna James Zeigler (@ajzeigler) May 15, 2021
They need to concentrate on the underlying grievance, not the destruction of their building. https://t.co/k0epW63edu
— Patrick (@patrick90165084) May 15, 2021
It’s not quite that simple when it’s THEIR property.
This was decision by the AP to place their bureau offices within a known Hamas safehouse; the reason they did it was for journalistic access, never imagining that something like this might happen. Hamas, of course, WANTED either defense or for it to happen for propaganda. https://t.co/8c7vH9T5zU
— Jeff B. tried to do his best, but he could not (@EsotericCD) May 15, 2021
#AP sharing office space and the break room with #Hamas. https://t.co/ayWJbS6euJ
— Milo™ (@chasbottom) May 15, 2021
Pro tip:
Make sure your landlord isn’t Hamas.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) May 15, 2021
I can believe @AP and @AJEnglish had no problems sharing office space with terrorists. https://t.co/mplSvGMubK
— Edward the Texas Moran (@TexasMoran) May 15, 2021
A warning was issued before the airstrike and the building had been evacuated:
An Israeli airstrike destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of The Associated Press and other media outlets hours after another Israeli air raid on a densely populated refugee camp killed at least 10 Palestinians from an extended family, mostly children, on Saturday.
The strike on the high-rise came nearly an hour after the military ordered people to evacuate the 12-story building, which also housed Al-Jazeera, other offices and residential apartments. The strike brought down the entire structure, which collapsed in a gigantic cloud of dust. There was no immediate explanation for why it was attacked.
Speaking of an explanation for why the building was attacked, the IDF offered up a thread this morning:
Here's some important context to the headlines you’re seeing about Israel Defense Forces operations in the Gaza Strip ⬇
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 15, 2021
1/ Hamas has turned residential areas in the Gaza Strip into military strongholds.
It uses tall buildings in Gaza for multiple military purposes such as intelligence gathering, planning attacks, command and control, and communications.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 15, 2021
2/ When Hamas uses a tall building for military purposes, it becomes a lawful military target.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 15, 2021
3/ The Israel Defense Forces struck a number of such buildings in recent days, but before we did so, we took steps to try and ensure that civilians would not be harmed.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 15, 2021
4/ We called the building's residents and warned them to leave. We sent SMS messages. We dropped "roof knocker" bombs; they make loud noises and hit only the roof. We provided sufficient time to evacuate.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 15, 2021
5/ We'll say it again: When Hamas places military assets inside such a building, it becomes a lawful military target. This is clear international law.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 15, 2021
6/ All the multi-story buildings targeted by the IDF were used for military purposes within each building.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 15, 2021
This is the thread the world needs to see.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 15, 2021
Does that answer all the media’s questions?
Israel took out a building that was used by shameless propagandists who want to see Israel wiped off the map. Hamas was in that building too.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) May 15, 2021
The irony of mainstream media being headquartered in a Hamas building is too much for one Saturday
— Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) May 15, 2021
Israel has done more to fight communism in the last 24 hours than America has done in years. https://t.co/xeoFfVJePa
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) May 15, 2021
Set up shop in the bad guys' building, don't be too surprised when bad things happen.
— WeirdRalph (@weirdralph) May 15, 2021
Buried lede: Journalists share buildings with genocidal theocratic terror organizations.
— David Harsanyi (@davidharsanyi) May 15, 2021
And yet we’re pretty sure the media will stay away from using that lede.
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