Ramallah-22/7/2014: The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms(MADA) considers targeting of Al-Jazeera office by the occupation forces in Gaza city today is a part of occupation forces' trials to silence the press in Gaza Strip, preventing them to cover its' daily crimes against citizens, and an attempt to terrify journalists.
The producer of Al-Jazerra office Safwat Kahalout,41, in Gaza city reported to MADA:" Today morning at 09:00 am, While we were doing our work at Al-Jazeera office which locate at Al-Jalla tower,11th floor, in Gaza city, we heard a sound of opening fire. All of us were shocked since we were not able to identify the source of this sound. A few seconds later, the second shelling happened which source was unknown for us. Then we understood that the first sounds were warning sounds and Al-Jazeera office will be targeted after the warning statement of Lieberman(Israeli foreign minister) to close all Al-Jazerra offices .No casualties were reported and the material damages small”.
Israeli occupations forces also continued shelling journalist's houses. The journalist and producer Rima Mahmoud Abu Sabha,26, reported that Israeli occupation forces shelled their house at about 12:00 am by two rockets without a previous warning. Therefore, her father was killed, and their one-floor house, where 11 people live, was destroyed.8 people, who live in her uncle's house which is next to their house, were injured. Israeli occupation airplanes shelled the remaining of the house again today morning at 07:00 am, straightening it with the ground.
The Journalist Mohammad Khamis Dahlan,31, who works for Al-Ahed TV reported to MADA:" At 07:50 pm , our house was shelled by an Israeli drone airplane. At 08:10 pm, the three floor- house was shelled by a F16 rocket, no casualties reported since one of our family members was told ten minutes before shelling by a phone call. The house, which locates in Al-Nasser neighborhood in Gaza city, where 40 people live who belong to 6 families ( we , my three uncles and some of my family members )whom were displaced as a result of the last aggression, was completely destroyed”. The journalist Dahlan is married, and he has three kids.
MADA condemns Israeli occupation forces in targeting journalists, journalists' houses and media outlets , and condoles the journalist Rima Abu Sabha .MADA demands again freedom of expression concerned parties to move in order to protect journalists and demands the international community to exert more efforts in order to stop Israeli aggression on Gaza Strip.
