An Israeli air strike destroys the builiding housing the offices of The Associated Press. AFP via AP
An Israeli air strike destroys the builiding housing the offices of The Associated Press. AFP via AP
An Israeli air strike destroys the builiding housing the offices of The Associated Press. AFP via AP
An Israeli air strike destroys the builiding housing the offices of The Associated Press. AFP via AP

Associated Press says Israel has provided no evidence of Hamas presence in Gaza office


Willy Lowry
  • English
  • Arabic

Israel has yet to provide The Associated Press with any evidence that Hamas militants were operating from the building used by the news agency in Gaza before it was destroyed during last month's conflict.

AP issued a statement on Tuesday after Israel's ambassador to the US and UN, Gilad Erdan, said he had visited the agency's New York headquarters to explain why Israel bombed the building.

"Israeli authorities maintain that the building housing our bureau was destroyed because of a Hamas presence that posed an urgent threat," AP's media relations director Lauren Easton said.

"We have yet to receive evidence to support these claims."

Mr Erdan had written on Twitter that the Gaza building used by AP and other outlets was being used by "Hamas terrorists" trying to jam the Iron Dome rocket defence system.

"That is why it was prioritised by the IDF during last month’s operation,” Mr Erdan wrote.

The ambassador said Israel did not "suspect" AP of having any knowledge of Hamas's presence in the building.

On May 15, the Israeli military launched an air strike on a high-rise building in a crowded part of Gaza city.

The 12-storey building, which had been home to AP for 15 years, was levelled.

No AP employees were injured in the strike.

In its statement, AP described the conversation with Mr Erdan as “positive” and “constructive” but called on Israel to release all evidence "so that the facts are public".

Mr Erdan said on Twitter that "Israel is willing to assist AP in rebuilding its offices and operations in Gaza".

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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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