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AFP demands Israeli investigation after strike on its Gaza bureau
AFP is calling for an in-depth and transparent investigation from Israel into the exact extent of its army’s involvement in the strike that seriously damaged its Gaza bureau.
Agence France-Presse has taken note of the recent statements from the Israeli army spokesman concerning “an army strike nearby (the AFP office) that might have caused debris.”
At this stage, this statement on its own does not explain the extent of the damage caused to the AFP bureau, located on the top floor of an 11-storey building.
"A strike on the offices of an international news agency sends a deeply troubling message to all the journalists working in such difficult conditions in Gaza,” said AFP Chairman and CEO Fabrice Fries.
“It is essential that all efforts are made to protect media in Gaza."
AFP, one of the few international media to maintain a bureau in Gaza, employs a total of nine people in Gaza – eight who were based in the Gaza City bureau before they evacuated on October 13, and one in Rafah. Seven of these nine staff are journalists.
AFP’s priority is to protect its staff. It is therefore redoubling its efforts to allow employees and their families to evacuate if they wish to leave. These efforts are being carried out via contacts with Israel and other governments, as well as joint initiatives with other international media.
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