Editors Guild of India Sunday condemned the “brazen” Israeli airstrikes on a building in Gaza that housed the editorial offices of Al Jazeera and the Associated Press.
The Saturday’s bombing raid demolished the 12-story building, destroying much of the camera and editing equipment, and 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.
An EGI statement said that given the recent background of escalating conflict in this region, the Guild “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”.
The Guild demanded that the Israeli government gives a “detailed justification of the decision making behind this attack along with evidentiary proof”.
The Guild also called for the Israeli government to facilitate a UN monitored investigation into this bombing raid.
Further, the Guild urged the Indian government to take up this issue with the Israeli government, demanding an independent inquiry and reiterating the need for ensuring safety of journalists in any conflict situation.