Reporters Without Borders Condemns Attacks On Palestinian Media

Reporters Without Borders has called on the Israeli Defense Forces to cease attacks on Palestinian journalists.

Violent attacks on several media buildings near Gaza City have raised concerns from press freedom groups worldwide about the safety of journalists. On Tuesday, the headquarters of the Hamas Al-Aqsa radio and TV stations were bombed by Israeli forces. The TV station was reportedly hit with several missiles that led to its "complete destruction." Although no employees were injured, the radio station was forced to shut down its broadcast.

"Reporters Without Borders strongly condemns direct fire on the Hamas broadcast stations," the organization said. "The fact that media serve as propaganda organs does not justify making them a military target."

Last week, Al-Kitab TV journalist Khaled Riyadh Mohammad Hamad was killed during another airstrike. The number of Palestinians killed in the 22-day-conflict has topped 1,100.

The Committee to Protect Journalists sent a similar warning earlier this month to the Israel Defense Forces urging them to steer clear of buildings housing journalists and media outlets. The committee called specific attention to three journalists who were injured and hospitalized as a result of Israeli airstrikes two weeks ago. The killing of a Palestinian media worker also caused an outcry from a number of press freedom groups in early July.