Some Israeli officials regret leveling of Gaza media tower — NY Times

Sources in Jerusalem say benefits of destroying Hamas electronic equipment in strike are outweighed by damage done to Israel’s global image

By JUDAH ARI GROSS and AGENCIES
23 May 2021, 6:15 pm

Some high-ranking officials in Jerusalem regret having bombed a Gaza building that housed offices of major international media outlets, saying any benefit of destroying Hamas electronic equipment in the tower has been outweighed by the damage done to Israel’s global image, three Israeli officials told The New York Times.

Some Israeli military officers had argued against the May 15 strike on the building housing the offices of the Associated Press, Al Jazeera and others, before it was eventually approved, the report said. Israeli officials were persuaded to authorize the strike after being presented with information about alleged Hamas operations in the building, in the knowledge that no people would be hurt, the Times reported Sunday.

But following the major international outcry, some Israeli officials now believe the move was a mistake, the report said.

The Israeli military maintains that Hamas used the high-rise building for electronic warfare against Israel, attempting to interfere with the GPS signal that the Israel Defense Forces uses, as well as for offices of the terror group’s intelligence department. The IDF has not, however, publicly released evidence to support this claim. The US has said Israel has provided it with information to back up the assertion through intelligence channels, though it has not commented on whether it accepts the claim or believes it justified bringing down the entire building.

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Some Israeli officials now regret destroying a building used by journalists.

Before deciding to bomb a high-rise building in Gaza City, Israeli military officers knew that it housed offices of The Associated Press, Al Jazeera and other news media, and for that reason some of them argued against the strike, three Israeli officials with knowledge of the discussions said this week.

Israeli forces warned that the strike last Saturday was coming, giving people time to leave the building, which Israel says contained vital Hamas electronic equipment. The significance of that gear, and the knowledge that no one would be harmed, bolstered the argument in favor of the bombing, according to the officials, who requested anonymity when discussing sensitive relations between Israel and the international news media.

But in light of the international furor over the airstrike, some high-ranking officials in government and the military now call it a mistake, arguing that Israel needs the media to be open to hearing its version of events, and the bombing made that harder. Video shot by Associated Press workers as they hustled out of the building, trying to rescue a few cameras and computers, was shared widely on news sites and social media around the world.

One official said that while the airstrike was justified militarily, the doubters had been right, and the harm done to Israel’s international standing outweighed any benefit from destroying the Hamas equipment.

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