THE Morning Star’s National Union of Journalists (NUJ) chapel is standing in solidarity with journalists from Al-Jazeera, AP and others following Israel’s weekend attack on a media building.

On Saturday, an Israeli air strike targeted the 12-storey media building containing the offices of news organisations in Gaza.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that its fighter jets had struck the tower because it also contained military assets belonging to Hamas, but did not provide evidence for the claim.

The Morning Star chapel said it was “a clear attempt to stop international press from reporting on the war crimes and human rights atrocities that are being carried out against the Palestinian people.”

As well as giving “unconditional support for the Palestinian resistance,” the chapel called yesterday for an end to arms sales, support for the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement and for the establishment of a Media Workers for Palestine initiative to counter current reporting and to support Palestinian journalists on the ground.

Statement in full:

The Morning Star NUJ chapel condemns the cowardly missile strike on a building housing Al-Jazeera, Associated Press and other media organisations in Gaza on Saturday.

This is a clear attempt to stop the world’s press from reporting on the war crimes and human rights atrocities that are being carried out against the Palestinian people.

We stand in full solidarity with our sisters and brothers from Al-Jazeera, AP and others and offer our full support and assistance to them. Despite the Israeli attacks, a free press will not be silenced.

We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and recognise their right to resist against the Israeli onslaught which aims to eradicate the Palestinian people altogether.

We call on the NUJ to issue an urgent statement condemning the Israeli attacks and in support of journalists and media organisations and to work with Palestinian journalist unions to ensure they are able to work freely and safely.

We call on the NUJ to ensure that reporting on the Israeli bombardment of Palestine is reported accurately in the British press and not framed as a “conflict” between equals, which is a deliberate distortion of reality.

We call on the NUJ to support a Media Workers for Palestine initiative to ensure responsible reporting and to give a voice to Palestinians, supporting journalists and media workers on the ground and will raise this in an emergency motion to this weeks national delegates meeting.

We call on the British government to immediately end arms sales to Israel and give full support to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement as called for by the Palestinian people and will write an urgent letter outlining our concerns.

We give our unconditional support to the Palestinian resistance.