The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on May 16 condemned the “brazen” airstrikes on a building in Gaza that housed the editorial offices of Al Jazeera, Associated Press and other media houses calling it “a de facto attack on news media by the Israeli government”.
In the statement, the EGI noted that the bombing raid that took place on May 15 demolishing the 12-story building, caused havoc to the cameras and editing equipment while severely affecting the news reporting and broadcasting capabilities of the two organisations.
“Besides the loss of hardware and office space, the bombing destroyed what was described as ‘home’ by some of the journalists,” read the statement.
Accusing the Israeli government of “disrupting the flow of news”, the EGI wrote: “Given the recent background od escalating conflict in this region, EGI sees this as a de facto attack on news media by the Israeli government, which can disrupt the flow of news from this highly volatile region and which has global security implications.”
While calling the Israeli government to facilitate a UN-monitored investigation into the bombing raid, the EGI also demanded a “detailed justification” of the decision making behind this attack from the Israeli government along with “evidentiary” proof.
Further, the EGI “urged the Indian government to take up the issue with the Israeli government, demanding an independent inquiry and reiterating the need for ensuring the safety of journalists in any conflict situation”.
The Indian Women’s Press Corps, Press Association and the Press Club of India also issued a statement on May 16 to condemn the bombing in the building that was also used for residential purposes by the journalists and their families.
“There can be no justification for bombing media houses and targeting their personnel and resources. It appears as a clear attempt to prevent media houses from reporting excesses that have become a routine affair in Gaza and the occupied parts of Palestine,” read the statement.
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They also demanded that “targeting of media persons, who are working in violence-hit conflict zones, be completely stopped immediately”.
Tracing back to over 100 years, the conflict between Israel and Palestinians is an ongoing issue that turned severely violent since the beginning of Ramadan in mid-April 2021, the holy month of the Muslim community, leading to several deaths. While the Palestinians residing in Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem claim that they have been suffering the consequences of the Israeli government’s restrictions and actions, Israel claims their actions and restrictions are merely to protect themselves from Palestinian violence.