Published: 11:00 Gaza Time (+2 GMT)   In a serious escalation, Israeli warplanes bombarded two apartment buildings which host many media offices in Gaza city.
Thirteen journalists were injured; including KhaderAz-Zahar, whose leg was amputated due to injuries he sustained in the attack.
Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights strongly condemns the direct attack on journalists and calls for effective international intervention; including by media rights institutions, to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip from the continuing attacks by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF).
According to the monitoring of Al Mezan, at approximately 1:35 am on 18 November 2012, the IOF warplanes fired a missile into the Shawwa and Husari apartment building.
The Al-Quds Satellite Channel (QSC) occupies the 11th floor of the building.
Five minutes after this attack, the IOF warplanes fired three missiles on the same target, destroying the QSC completely.
Missiles hit the montage, studio and archives sections in the QSC office.
Seven of the media workers in these offices were injured; including KhaderAz-Zahar, whose leg was amputated due to the injuries sustained in the attack.
The other media workers who were injured were Mohammed Al-Akhras, Hazim Ad-Da’our, Omar Al-Ifranji, Hussein Al-Madhoun, and Ibrahim Lubbad.
Other media offices in the building were damaged in this attack; including Alwan radio and a private broadcast company.
At approximately 7 am, IOF warplanes launched another airstrike on the offices of the Al-Aqsa Space Channel, which is located on the 15th floor of the Al-Shorouq building in the west of Gaza city.
The offices were completely destroyed in the attack.
Other media offices in the 14th and 15th floors of the building were also damaged.
These offices belong to the Palestine Media Company, the Mayadeen Channel, Press TV, Abu Dhabi TV, Sky News and Dubai Channel.
Six media workers were also injured in this attack.
They are Khalid Thabit, Mohammed Al-Shrafi, Mu’nis Abu Nahl, Mohammed Al-Mbayid, Mohammed Kali, and Ramzi Abu Amer.
Al Mezan, while appreciating the important role the media plays in the situation in Gaza and the media workers who put their safety and life at great risk to show the world what is happening in Gaza, strongly condemns the IOF deliberate attack on media offices in Gaza.
This attack reflects the IOF’s stark disregard to international law and civilian life.
Al Mezan stresses that the continued failure of international community to condemn IOF’s serious violations of international law and seeking to hold those who order and/or commit them accountable has only allowed, even encouraged, Israel to continue these violations.
Al Mezan therefore reiterates its calls on the international community to make effective interventions to end Israel’s aggression and protect civilians; including media workers, from the IOF illegal attacks on Gaza.
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