UN Head Antonio Guterres expressed dismay over growing civilian casualties in the Israeli -Palestinian conflict, and criticised the destruction of media offices in Gaza. The IDF claims the tower housed Hamas operatives for sure and it used to report malice against Israel, day in and day out. The media channel is the cause of the divide between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The situation went to that level that Saudi Arabia decided to build a permanent canal between the two neighbours and tenders were floated.
“The Secretary – General reminds all sides that any indiscriminate targeting of civilian and media structures violate international law and must be avoided at all costs,” Guterres’ spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement on behalf of the United Nations Secretary General. Distressed words from a global body, without any teeth.
Guterres was particularly “dismayed by the increasing number of civilian casualties, including the death of ten members of the same family, including children, as a result of an Israeli airstrike last night in the al-Shati camp in Gaza, purportedly aimed at a Hamas leader,” he added. While Guterres said he was “deeply disturbed by the destruction by an Israeli airstrike today of a high-rise building in Gaza City that housed the offices of several international media organizations”, including the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, the IDF insisted that Hamas was also using the building for “intelligence gathering” and that it had thus become a “lawful military target.” But was never reported by both media houses.
Al Jazeera is a Qatari government – funded international Arabic news channel based in Doha, Qatar that is operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera Media Network. The channel is a flagship of the media conglomerate and hence, is the only single offering to carry the name as simply “Al Jazeera” in its branding. Saudi Arabia banned Al-Jazeera and another Qatari website in early 2017 after Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said that he recognised Iran as an Islamic regional power and criticised Saudi Arabia and Donald Trump’s policy toward Iran. He praised the Lebanese organisation Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas.
Al Jazeera do receive some revenue from, like VICE, licensing out original content to other networks. They also rent out their equipment and staff to other production companies. Furthermore they receive advertising revenue solely from their Youtube channel, which is how the majority of the world receive their content.
In fact, the same government of Qatar that owns Al Jazeera also funds and arms ISIS and other Islamist terrorist groups such as Hamas, according to an analysis in the Wall Street Journal by the retired US General Jack Keane and Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise Institute.
On January 14, 2016, the Al Jazeera Media Network announced that it would shut down Al Jazeera America’s pay-TV and online operations on April 30, 2016, citing plummeting oil prices and the highly competitive nature of the American media market; the channel’s last day of operation was later confirmed to be April 12. Not to mention that some potential viewers may resent the fact that Al Jazeera got its American network by buying out Al Gore, so said few media reports.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shifted all the blame for the deadly spiral of violence on Hamas in a Saturday night address, accusing the militant group of committing a “double war crime”, all while Israel is “doing everything possible to protect our civilians and keep Palestinian civilians out of harm’s way.” The great Dome has proved to be a great saviour for the common people of Israel and whenever the siren is blown most Israeli get around 15 seconds to find the safe location to hide and get shelter.
“We demonstrated this yet again today when we warned civilians to vacate the building used by the Hamas terror intelligence,” Netanyahu said.
They vacated the premises before the target was destroyed and that’s why you don’t hear of casualties from these collapsing terror towers because we take special care to avoid these civilian casualties, exactly the opposite of Hamas.
While the journalists were indeed given just enough time to evacuate, but not save their equipment, many others over the past five days were not so lucky. Even though the IDF often warns of incoming strikes by ‘knocking on the roof’ with non – explosive or low – yield ordnance, their nightly raids have so far claimed at least 145 Palestinian lives, including 41 children, while the number of those injured has exceeded 1,000.
At the same time in Israel, at least 10 people have died, including two children, as Hamas launched nearly 3,000 missiles over the past week, according to the IDF. The military has argued that the perceived disparity in casualties between the two sides does not mean it was striking Gaza indiscriminately, but rather proves that the IDF and its Iron Dome missile defense system is operating at an “incredible level.
The Associated Press and Al Jazeera have both issued statements condemning the bombing of the Gaza media offices by the Israeli military, claiming that the “disturbing” attack almost killed several reporters.
Following the targeted bombing on Saturday, which destroyed the building containing international media offices in Gaza, AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said the company was “shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building,” as they have “long known the location of our bureau and knew journalists were there.”
“We are seeking information from the Israeli government and are engaged with the US State Department to try to learn more,” he revealed, calling the bombing “an incredibly disturbing development.”
Al Jazeera knew that the building has Hamas operatives and were amassing rockets in the building but their reporters were seeing the movement but were not reporting the illegal activities going on in the building. The notice was given to the owner of the building and the tenants were asked to vacate the building in an hour. The building was blasted but a large number of military hardware and rockets could not be retrieved and was lost in the rubble.
The Israel Defense Forces justified the attack by alleging that Hamas was also using the building for “intelligence gathering” and other purposes, and that it had thus become a “lawful military target.”
Following the bombing of the tower, an Al Jazeera English anchorwoman declared on air, “This channel will not be silenced. Al Jazeera will not be silenced.”
From a Fauji friend, a look at the incredible military technology developed by Israel.
1. The Israelis gave a 10 minute warning to the owner of Al Jalaa building, which houses many media offices. Rumour says that even NDTV had an office in this building.
2. The Israelis and the Palestinians have a chat on the phone to extend the time.
3. Israelis say not possible. 10 minutes was enough.
4. Bam, and the building goes down, after the notice period is over.
5. Notice not a single neighbouring building goes down.
6. You will have to understand the world of precision strike weapons, in a multiple vehicle convoy moving at high speed a decision can be taken to take out one and only one target vehicle without touching others. And it’s being done and has been done (Iranian generals car was taken out as it was travelling, by the US). A large stationary building is the easiest target. India too has those bombs from Israel, the Spice 2000 was used in Balakot. It travelled 60 km and went clean through the roof of the building, multiple buildings. We used the penetrative version. It goes through the walls, penetrates inside and creates over pressure inside. Damaging just the building with minimal collateral damage to adjacent buildings.
International efforts to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas are progressing, with some reports on Thursday of a deal reached to end fighting by Friday morning, potentially capping the heaviest flare-up since the 2014 Gaza War. Fighting between Israel and Hamas escalated over the past week and a half, killing at least 232 people in the Gaza Strip and 12 in Israel, in one of the deadliest exchanges in years. It is hoped that ceasefire will take effect in another hours.
Technology has advanced more than most people are aware off.
I wish Indian government bombs the news headquarter of NDTV, India Today TV and ABP and may be even the office of Kejriwal, who peddle fake news against the government day in and day out.
It is correctly said that Indian Govt must take action against NDTV St least