Palestinian sources reported on Monday at night that an explosion ripped through Al Arabiya Television office in Gaza City causing excessive damage, no injuries were reported.!– @page { size: 21.59cm 27.94cm; margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } –> The office in located at the eleventh floor of Al Shorouq tower, in Al Rimal neighborhood.
The explosion destroyed the main door of the office, and damaged several walls inside. Al Arabiyya is a Dubai-based Arabic satellite news station.
Both the Al Aqsa brigades, the armed wing of Fateh, and the Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas denounced the attack,
Meanwhile, Palestinian journalists in Gaza said that they are holding a strike on Tuesday to protest against the attack.
Nabil Al Khateeb, Executive Editor of Al Arabiyya, said that the station did not receive threats against its office and that it was not clear yet if the blast is linked to threats.
The door of Reuters News Agency, located across the hallway, was also smashed by the blast.
The Al Arabiyya office was empty as the employees had not arrived at work since several days following telephone threats after the station aired at tape of Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyya, of the ruling Hamas party.
But Hamas movement officially denounced the attack and said that it does not target journalists or other people because of a difference in opinion.
Hamas spokesperson, Ismail Radwan, said accused a “third party” of carrying the attack to create more tensions.
After Al Arabiyya aired an interview with Haniyya, Hamas said that Haniyya's comments were taken out of context, and said that it will pursue legal action against the station.
Several Palestinian factions, legislators, institutions and news agency denounced the attack, and demanded the security devices to locate the assailants.
Also, the Journalists Union in Palestinian announced a general strike on Tuesday in protest to the attack.
