Israel says Hamas used AP, Al Jazeera building in Gaza to jam Iron Dome
Israel will help rebuild AP offices in Gaza, said its UN ambassador.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan visited the Associated Press’ headquarters in New York on Monday night and claimed that Hamas was using the al-Jalaa tower in Gaza for electronic warfare to interfere with Israel’s Iron Dome missile defenses.
Israel’s air force bombed the tower, which also housed the local bureaus of AP and Al Jazeera in addition to residential properties, during last month’s conflict with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.
The bombing drew a storm of international criticism, but Israeli officials have insisted Hamas operatives were using the tower for military operations. The Israel Defense Forces warned occupants of the tower, including journalists, to evacuate one hour prior to the strike on May 15.
Erdan met with AP’s vice president for foreign news reporting, Ian Phillips, and CEO Gary Pruitt in New York on Monday night. The IDF issued a similar statement on Tuesday, saying Hamas used the tower to disrupt the Iron Dome, Israel’s front-line defense against Palestinian rockets.
