Officials: Gunmen Storm Palestine TV, Destroy Equipment

According to officials, tensions between Palestinian Authority and Hamas could escalate after the offices of Palestine TV in Gaza was raided by armed men.

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The Palestinian Broadcast Corporation (PBC) issued a statement saying the attack was a "clear reflection of the mentality of the Hamas movement and criminal gangs who believe only in their voice, and who seek to suppress freedoms."

The station was forced to suspend broadcasting later in the day.

"Hamas is deeply involved in this conspiracy," Ahmed Assaf, chairman of the PBC, stated while speaking in Ramallah. However, the chairman did not provide any evidence to support the accusation, which Hamas officials promptly condemned. 

"What happened is rejected, and we condemn it," Eyad Al-Bozom said in a statement issued by the Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza.

The PBC chair said Palestine Authority Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah condemned the attack and expressed determination to get the outlet back up and running as soon as possible.

"Whoever rules in Gaza must afford protection to everyone here," Rafat Al-Qidra, the office director, told the Reuters news agency, detailing that five men broke into the premises early Friday and destroyed cameras, editing and broadcast equipment worth nearly US$150,000.

Additionally, archives of recording tapes as well as portraits of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and late Palestine leader Yasser Arafat were destroyed.

"The Interior Ministry will take necessary legal action to probe the incident related to the attack on the Palestinian broadcaster’s headquarters. We regret what happened today," the ministry said, in a statement, Friday.