Explosion hits media offices in Gaza

Smoke rises from a building that houses the offices of Reuters and other media organizations in Gaza City in this video frame grab, January 15, 2009.

GAZA (Reuters) - Two journalists were wounded in an apparent Israeli rocket strike on a Gaza tower block on Thursday that forced Reuters and other media to evacuate their bureau, disrupting coverage on a day of heavy fighting in the city.

Gulf-based Abu Dhabi Television said it believed its two journalists were targeted by an Israeli aircraft as they filmed from their 14th-storey office in the downtown Al-Shurouq Tower.

Their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

Two floors below, shrapnel entered the Reuters bureau, causing no casualties but forcing staff to leave immediately.

Israeli forces drove deep into the city on Thursday, fighting guerrillas from the Palestinian enclave's ruling Hamas Islamist movement as international ceasefire talks continued.

Smoke was seen coming from the upper floors of the 16-storey Al-Shurouq building and a remote camera in the Reuters office, which had transmitted live throughout the war, stopped working.

Television footage later showed Abu Dhabi TV's office strewn with rubble, with holes in the walls and equipment damaged.

Israeli army spokesmen, who had been in touch with Reuters shortly before the blast to confirm the location of the bureau in Gaza, said they were looking into what had happened. Ten hours later, the army had still to offer an explanation.

"Ayman al-Razzi ... and cameraman Mohammed al-Sousi were filming the Israeli strikes ... when an Israeli aircraft fired a rocket directly at them, resulting in an explosion inside the office and shrapnel wounds," Abu Dhabi TV said in a statement.

Responding to the damage to a Reuters newsroom whose exact location had been communicated to Israeli forces, Reuters Editor-in-Chief David Schlesinger said: "I call on all sides in the conflict to use the utmost care around professionals who are trying to report the situation accurately around the world."

JOURNALISTS' CONCERNS

The Israeli government, which has barred foreign journalists from entering the Gaza Strip, has accused Hamas of endangering civilians by fighting in residential areas. Reuters journalists said they saw no gunmen near the Gaza bureau before it was hit.

The international news agency has also raised concerns with the Israeli government and military over statements by troops in the field this week that they were targeting anyone in the Gaza Strip who appeared to be "observing" their movements -- comments that seem to imply great risk to journalists.

Following the killing by an Israeli tank in the Gaza Strip last year of a Reuters cameraman, Fadel Shana, the agency has continued to urge the Israeli army to ensure that its troops are trained and properly instructed to avoid firing on journalists.

Israeli government spokesmen, defending a 3-week offensive that they say aims to end rocket fire at Israel, have criticized much media coverage from the Gaza Strip and some have said Hamas controls the output of journalists in the territory.

Reuters Editor-in-Chief Schlesinger said on Thursday: "For 157 years, Reuters has been committed to telling a global news story in an unbiased, accurate and impartial way.

"The recent attacks in Gaza are a reminder of the risks our journalists take to get the story right."

In Jerusalem, the Foreign Press Association demanded the Israeli army desist from firing in the area of media offices.

"We call on the military to halt this fire immediately," it said. "These are buildings housing journalists working for international news agencies and must not be targeted."

During the U.S. assault on Baghdad in April 2003, a Reuters cameraman was killed and three colleagues were wounded when a U.S. tank fired at the Reuters bureau in the Palestine Hotel. A Spanish television cameraman was also killed.