Israel-Palestine conflict: Netanyahu calls Gaza tower housing media 'legitimate target'

Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu on May 16 defended the attacks on the Gaza tower housing The Associated Press and Al Jazeera bureaus and said that it was a “legitimate target” as it also hosted a Palestinian “terrorist” intelligence office. While speaking to CBS News, Netanyahu said that an “intelligence office for the Palestinian terrorist organisation” was housed in the Gaza building that plots and organises the terror attacks against Israeli civilians. He added that it was a “perfectly legitimate target” and the Israeli military took every precaution to make sure that there were no civilian injuries, in fact, no deaths. 

The Associated Press, on the other hand, has said that Israel has provided no evidence of terrorist activity in the building, which was reduced to rubble by the airstrike. Al Jazeera’s reporter from Gaza, who had been working from the now-destroyed building for more than 10 years, also said that he had never seen anything suspicious or any military aspects or the fighters even coming in and out of the building. Following the Israeli airstrike, the Associated Press’ top editor even called for an independent investigation into the attack that targeted and destroyed the Gaza City building, saying that the public deserves to know the facts. 

Nearly 200 killed in Gaza city 

Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza city has inched closer to 200 on Sunday. Airstrikes between Israel and Gaza have killed 42 Palestinians, injured several others and flattened at least three residential buildings. As per official figures of both the governments, at least 192 people including 58 children and 34 women, have been killed in the Gaza Strip while Israel has reported 10 dead, including 2 children.

On Sunday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded for an immediate end to the outbreak of deadly Israeli-Palestinian violence and warned that the fighting could plunge the region into an "uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis”. On the same day United Nations Security Council also met in a bid to discuss the violence, however, they failed to agree on even a joint statement of concern. US President Joe Biden, on the other hand, dialled both sides and discussed the violent outbreak with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas separately. 

While speaking to Netanyahu, Biden reaffirmed his strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas. However, he also urged caution over civilian casualties and the need to protect journalists amid the violence. It is worth mentioning that the escalating violence was sparked by unrest in Jerusalem that had simmered for weeks and led to clashes between riot police and Palestinians, fuelled by anger over planned Israeli expulsions of Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem. 

(Image: AP)