Israeli Official Soft Pedals Army Chief Remarks on Bombing AP Gaza Offices
Voice of America
JERUSALEM - Israel's defense minister on Monday distanced himself from comments made by his military chief after Israel bombed a Gaza Strip high-rise housing an Associated Press office and other news outlets, saying the remarks were not meant to be taken literally.
In an article published on the website of Channel 12 news over the weekend, the military chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kohavi, was quoted as saying that "the building was destroyed justly" and he did not have a "gram of regret." The article claimed that the Hamas militant group that rules Gaza used various floors of the Jalaa Tower for "significant electronic warfare" meant to disrupt Israeli air force GPS communications. The article then said Kohavi had told "a foreign source" that AP journalists drank coffee each morning in a cafeteria in the building's entrance with Hamas electronics experts, whether they knew it or not.FILE - A boy waves a Palestinian flag in Barcelona, Spain, on Jan. 20, 2024. European Union countries Spain and Ireland as well as Norway on Wednesday announced dates for recognizing Palestine as a state. A ship transporting international humanitarian aid is moored at the US-built Trident Pier near Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on May 21, 2024.
People queue up to vote outside a polling booth during the fifth round of multi-phase national election in Howrah, India, May 20, 2024. A woman carrying her daughter leaves after casting vote in a polling station during the fifth round of multi-phase national elections in Mumbai, India, May 20, 2024.
Ukrainian servicemen of the 92nd separate assault brigade load shells in an M109 self-propelled howitzer before firing towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv region, Ukraine May 20, 2024. In this photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on May 21, 2024, a Russian crew prepares a Tu-22M3 bomber for a training mission as part of drills to train the military for using tactical nuclear weapons at an undisclosed location in Russia.