Shots Fired at Al Jazeera's Gaza Bureau Day After Israeli Official Said He Wanted It Shut Down

By Al Jazeera America

22 July 14

Shots fired into Al Jazeera's office in Gaza, a day after Israeli FM said Israel will work to close down the network.

unshots have been fired into Al Jazeera’s bureau in the Gaza Strip amid an intensified bombardment campaign on the Palestinian enclave.

The shots caused panic among the civilians living in the same building but no casualties have been reported in the incident on Tuesday morning.

"Two very precise shots were fired straight into our building", Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker, reporting from the bureau in Gaza said.

"We are high up in the building so we had a very strong vantage point over the area. But we have evacuated."

The bureau is situated in a residential area of Gaza City.

"Our office building also has many residential apartments. People [are] leaving, panicked."

'Incitement' accusations

The attack came a day after Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was quoted by local media as saying his country will work to close down Al Jazeera in Israel.

Al Jazeera "has abandoned even the perception of being a reliable news organisation and broadcasts from Gaza and to the world anti-Israel incitement, lies, and encouragement to the terrorists," Lieberman said.

Al Jazeera has been covering the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that started on July 8.

"The foreign minister’s comments were a direct threat against us and appear to have been taken as a green light for the targeting of our journalists in Gaza. We hold the Israeli authorities fully responsible. They have put the lives of journalists in danger," the network said in a statement.

The death toll in Israel’s 14-day assault climbed to more than 607 Palestinians, including dozens of women and children. More than 3,700 others have been injured.

On the Israeli side, 27 troops and two civilians have been killed.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army said one of its soldiers was missing in Gaza.