Blast hits Reuters building in Gaza

Reuters journalists working there at the time said an Israeli missile or shell appeared to have struck the southern side of the 13th floor of the Al-Shurouq Tower in Gaza city centre.

Reuters evacuated the bureau, though a live camera feed that has been providing images from Gaza throughout the war continued to function. Live television images from another site showed smoke pouring from the upper floors of the 16-storey building.

Colleagues said at least one journalist working for Abu Dhabi television on the 14th floor was wounded.

The 13th floor houses a local television production company. The Reuters bureau is on the 12th floor. 

Reuters journalists on the spot said they had not been aware of any presence of armed men in the building beforehand.

An Israeli army spokesman had spoken with Reuters staff in Jerusalem shortly before the explosion to check the location of the Reuters bureau in Gaza. Reuters had provided the coordinates of its office to the army at the start of the war and was assured on several occasions that it was not a target. ■