Netanyahu: "AP News Building Bombing, Justified Attack"... Defends Gaza Strip Bombing

One Hour Before Bombing, Evacuation Notice Sent to Foreign Media
Reporters Without Borders Requests Investigation for "War Crimes"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing international controversy after defending the Israeli military's bombing of a building used as an office by foreign media, including the Associated Press (AP), in the Gaza Strip. The AP and Reporters Without Borders have announced plans to request an investigation by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, while criticism of pro-Israel policies is growing within the U.S. political sphere.

On the 16th (local time), in an interview with CBS's "Face the Nation," Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, "The bombing of the AP building was a legitimate attack," arguing that "the building was a perfectly legitimate target because it housed the intelligence agency of a Palestinian terrorist organization." He emphasized that information about the building's bombing was also shared with U.S. authorities. He added, "We will use any means necessary to restore order," and "It will not take long."

Earlier, Israel bombed and destroyed the Gaza Strip's Jala Tower, which housed AP, Al Jazeera, and other foreign media outlets. According to AP, they have been located in the building for 15 years and denied ever hearing that a terrorist organization's intelligence agency was housed there. They also criticized the Israeli military for issuing evacuation warnings only one hour before the bombing.

In response, Israeli military spokesperson Brigadier General Hidai Zilberman claimed, "The building houses Hamas's research and development organization, military intelligence, and the offices of the armed group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)," but reportedly did not provide the evidence requested by AP.

The Biden administration also found itself in a difficult position. According to CNN, the White House stated that President Joe Biden expressed concerns about journalists' safety during a call with Prime Minister Netanyahu the previous day, but voices opposing the Biden administration's pro-Israel policies are rising within the U.S. Democratic Party.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, known as a progressive Democrat, held a press conference immediately after news of the AP building bombing broke, saying, "It is disappointing and unacceptable that this administration hesitates even to take a basic humanitarian stance," and criticized, "If our actions continue to single out only Palestinians as the problem, we cannot maintain the idea that we are a neutral party in this situation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.