Israel: Hamas was developing tech to jam Iron Dome in bombed AP building
Gilad Erdan told the wire service the IDF destroyed the building because the terror group that runs Gaza was using it to develop methods to stop Israel's anti-missile system
Israel’s U.S. ambassador told The Associated Press that the Israeli army destroyed the building containing its Gaza bureau because Hamas was developing technology there that would jam Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system.
Gilad Erdan, also the U.N. ambassador, met Monday with the wire service’s president, Gary Pruitt, and its vice president of international news, Ian Phillips.
Hamas’ research and development and intelligence arms were in the building, Erdan said.
“The unit was developing an electronic jamming system to be used against the Iron Dome defence system,” Erdan said, according to a release by the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
Israel authorities told residents and workers in the building to evacuate about an hour before it bombed the 12-story building on May 15.
Hamas launched about 4,500 rockets at Israel during the May 10-21 conflict. Most hit open areas, but about 1,500 headed for built-up areas, and Iron Dome intercepted about 90%.
Erdan told Pruitt and Phillips that Israel did not believe that AP knew Hamas was headquartered in the building. A number of right-wing pro-Israel commentators on social media have accused the AP of knowingly working alongside Hamas.
“AP is one of the most important news agencies in the world and Israel doesn’t think that AP employees were aware it was being cynically used in this way by Hamas for a secret unit,” Erdan said in the release.
The ambassador said Israel was “willing to assist the Associated Press in rebuilding its offices and operations in Gaza.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
