An American organization promoting literature and freedom of speech has called Israel's airstrike that destroyed a building in Gaza that was home to the offices of The Associated Press and other media ``deeply disturbing.''

PEN America said in a statement after Saturday's strike that the only reason the world knows about the ongoing fighting between Gaza's Hamas rulers and Israel is due to the ``tireless, indefatigable work of journalists, risking their lives to inform the world.''

The organization demanded a detailed accounting of why Israel launched the strike.

PEN America added that ``the resulting destruction will hobble the ability of professional journalists to do their work documenting a fraught, complex conflict at a critical time.''