Social media and news agencies are still discussing the Israeli airstrikes of the past day. The Israeli air force demolished an 11-storey building that housed various media outlets. The attack was a warning. However, it is alleged that the Israeli army did not allow the shipment.
The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jet. Three missiles were fired down. Everything fell apart in an instant. However, the Israeli army claimed that it had been warned about an hour earlier and that some members of the Hamas group were inside the building.
There was only one elevator in the Al-Jala Tower, the headquarters of media outlets such as Al Jazeera and the Associated Press. The 11-story building in Gaza City has more than 60 residential apartments and several offices, including the Al Jazeera Media Network and the Associated Press. Al Jazeera’s spokesman said it was not easy to relocate in such a short time.
“We left the elevator for the elderly and children,” said a Palestinian freelance journalist. She added that we were all stepping down and that those who could help the children had brought them down. Everyone was running fast with life.
The Israeli military, which has been bombing Gaza for six days, had issued a telephone warning. Residents were given an hour to evacuate the building before the warplanes attacked. An AP journalist pleaded with an Israeli intelligence officer over the phone to give him 15 minutes. We have a lot of equipment, including cameras and other equipment, and he asked for 15 more minutes to get it all out, but he refused. Jawad Mahdi, the owner of the building, also tried to buy more time.
English Summary: ‘Give us 10 minutes’: How Israel bombed the media tower in Gaza
