In a shocking and horrifying move, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed offices of international media outlets including The Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye. It was the latest step by the Israeli military to silence reporting from the territory amid its battle with Hamas.
Israel launched day-long attacks on Friday to destroy what it claimed were several kilometres of tunnels, launch sites and weapons manufacturing warehouses used by Hamas’ fighters in an effort to halt the rocket attacks. Meanwhile, during these clashes 132 people lost their lives including 32 children and 21 women.
Targeting journalists is a war crime. Despite all these actions, no significant steps have been taken by the United Nations to stop the Israeli aggression. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also called a ‘third-level’ meeting, which could have no significant effect or pressure on Israel.
The attack on media houses was another violation of international law and ultimately, an attack on a free press. Apparently, the only reason to deliberately attack a building housing international media is to try to obstruct the media from covering what’s happening.
Israel has also tried to silence the media just like India. When India changed the special status of Kashmir, it also shut down internet service to obstruct the world from what’s happening in the valley. It was being reported that Israel has deployed troops on the Gaza border and is preparing for a major offensive.
Attack on the media was not just about intimidation or showcasing the power, but behind, it can be extremely nefarious motives. We have witnessed that various websites and pages were blocked for sharing news regarding Israeli aggression in order to keep the world unaware.
After attack such media houses, the fear is that Israel may launch more large-scale attacks, so the United Nations must take immediate action to counter Israeli aggression.
