Gaza Metropolis – Israeli air raids demolished the Al-Jalaa constructing that hosted Al Jazeera’s bureau and The Related Press workplace on Could 15 final yr.
Mud and particles plumed up into the air because the 11-storey constructing, which additionally housed a lot of residences and different workplaces, was levelled, pounded flat.
The bombing sparked widespread anger. Al Jazeera condemned the assault on the time, calling on “all media and human rights establishments to affix forces” in denouncing the bombing and to “maintain the federal government of Israel accountable”.
Between Could 10 and 21 final yr, Israeli forces carried out a full-scale military offensive in opposition to the Gaza Strip that resulted within the deaths of 261 Palestinians, together with 67 kids and 41 girls.
After the bombing, the Al Jazeera crew in Gaza – who misplaced most of their gear – moved to a number of momentary headquarters over the previous yr in what they described as a time filled with instability.
At Al Jazeera’s present workplace, guests streamed in lately to supply their condolences for the lack of Al Jazeera’s veteran reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, who was shot and killed by Israeli forces within the Jenin refugee camp final week.
Wael Al Dahdouh, 53, director of the Al Jazeera bureau in Gaza, mentioned it’s nonetheless painful to recollect the day when the staff misplaced their workplace through the Israeli assault.
‘Bought out instantly’
He recounted that afternoon: The staff was out overlaying a close-by bombing when the proprietor of the constructing known as to tell them that an Israeli official ordered a direct evacuation as a result of it was going to be bombed.
“It was an incredible shock, we thought the bombing of the tower during which we’re positioned was not possible. It solely hosted media workplaces, corporations and the remaining have been residential residences.”
“In these moments, I couldn’t consider something. I advised everybody to evacuate. We took what might take from the workplace and acquired out instantly,” he mentioned.
Wael and the residents have been capable of depart the constructing solely minutes earlier than the tower was bombed and crashed to the bottom.
“The scene of the workplace being bombed whereas I used to be on air overlaying the information was probably the most tough moments in my life. I used to be doing my job regardless of my disappointment for all of the recollections of the workplace we spent 12 years in.
“This reminiscence is linked to our efforts, our work, our gear and the archive that documented many recollections and scenes,” he added.
After the bombing, Wael mentioned the staff moved to a lodge in western Gaza and have been hosted by the AFP information company to do their reside protection of the continuing Israeli assault on the territory.
“We gathered our energy and continued to cowl regardless of the hazards and hardships, and regardless of all of the disappointment, anger and remorse over dropping the workplace,” Wael mentioned.
Wael spoke intermittently as he obtained guests who got here to supply their condolences for the assassination of Abu Akleh.
“The anniversary of our workplace tower coincided with the lack of one other tower of the press in Palestine, our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh,” he mentioned.
“We have been planning to mark our bombing anniversary with us getting up once more and transferring to a brand new workplace and celebrating. However dropping Shireen made this pleasure incomplete.”
‘Sheikh of Photographers’
Mahmoud Obaid, 65, a senior cameraman nicknamed the “sheikh of photographers” within the Gaza Strip, began working for Al Jazeera at its founding in 1996.
Since then, Mahmoud mentioned, he has lined many watershed moments with the Al Jazeera staff, together with Israeli invasions, escalations and wars within the Palestinian territory.
“Throughout these years, Al Jazeera’s workplace moved from one place to a different, till we lastly settled in 2009 in al-Jalaa Tower,” he mentioned.
“The al-Jalaa Tower workplace was like our second residence. We used to spend extra time within the workplace than we spent in our houses with our households, and our connection to the place was very robust.”
In regards to the second they have been knowledgeable of the bombing, Mahmoud mentioned: “We acquired very nervous, our ideas have been about what are an important issues that we’ll get out of the workplace earlier than the bombing.
“The gear we took out didn’t exceed 5 p.c of the whole gear we misplaced, together with cameras and broadcasting gadgets,” Mahmoud mentioned.
“I want we had a minimum of two hours to evacuate our headquarters and take our gear, however between the second of informing us and the bombing, there have been solely 45 minutes, not sufficient for something.”
Mahmoud mentioned the towers that have been bombed through the Could offensive got a full day or greater than 5 hours to evacuate, aside from the al-Jalaa Tower, which was bombed lower than an hour from the second of notification.
“We felt quite a lot of instability through the earlier yr – new place, new roads, and incomplete gear, however we acquired over it and right here we’re. Nothing will cease us. The Israeli occupation all the time targets us as journalists in all media shops, nevertheless it won’t have an effect on our willpower to report the reality.”
‘I used to be terrified’
Youmna El Sayed, 34, who began working as a correspondent for Al Jazeera English final yr through the warfare on the Gaza Strip, described the second the tower was bombed as an incredible shock to everybody.
“At these moments, I had simply returned from reporting on the war-wounded individuals at Al-Shifa Medical Hospital, till the information of the evacuation of the tower got here,” Youmna mentioned.
“I used to be terrified, I believed this was one of many most secure locations within the Gaza Strip. The workplace of an American media outlet and the Al Jazeera workplace have been there, and the remaining have been residents,” she mentioned.
Youmna, a mom of 4, mentioned her ideas have been with the households who lived within the 60-apartment constructing.
“I most popular to go down the steps from the twelfth ground and never use the elevator to see if I might assist any of the households on my manner. There was a mom on the eighth ground very nervous and crying with three kids underneath the age of 5 and a child in her arms, and she or he couldn’t handle,” she mentioned.
“Regardless of my very own concern, I reassured her and took the 2 children from her and advised her to rapidly convey no matter she wished from her condominium and to not fear in regards to the children, whom I took down with me.”
After Youmna was out of the constructing, the mom additionally got here downstairs with different households within the tower then, moments later, the constructing was bombed.
“I used to be on the air at that second overlaying the bombing, it was a really tough second, the tower collapsed like a biscuit,” she mentioned.
A yr later, Youmna mentioned she could not have spent as a lot time within the former Gaza headquarters of Al Jazeera, however she felt keenly the affect of the bombing on her colleagues, who misplaced their gear, possessions, and recollections.
Regardless of the Israeli assault, she asserted “nothing will cease them from conveying the message”.
“Though I maintain a non-Palestinian nationality that permits me to go away Gaza on the time of the warfare, I most popular to remain and canopy what’s going on,” she mentioned.
“The bombing of the Al Jazeera workplace didn’t intimidate me in any respect, and few days in the past got here the lack of our colleague Shireen Abu Akleh. These incidents made me extra persistent to finish the message – it doesn’t matter what occurs.
“Nothing will cease us from the message, besides loss of life.”
