“It is essential that journalists working in Gaza are protected and that the vital work they are doing on the ground is respected,” added Phil Chetwynd, AFP Global News Director.
None of AFP's eight staff usually based in Gaza City were in the bureau at the moment of the strike. The team was evacuated to southern Gaza on October 13, following an Israeli military order directed at residents in the north of the Hamas-run territory.
AFP is the only one of the world's three major international news agencies currently operating a live video feed from Gaza City, which has not been interrupted despite the damage.