WITHOUT BORDERS, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME.
I GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> LAST NIGHT ON THE FLOOR OF
THE U.S. SENATE, REPUBLICAN
SENATOR TOM COTTON ACCUSED AN
AMERICAN NEWS AGENCY, THE
ASSOCIATED PRESS, OF SHIELDING
HAMAS MILITANTS.
WATCH. >> WHY IS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
>> WHY IS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SHARING A BUILDING WITH HAMAS?
SURELY THESE INTREPID REPORTERS
KNEW WHO THEY WERE.
>> COTTON WAS RESPONDING TO
THIS, SATURDAYS ISRAELIS AIR
STRIKE THAT DESTROYED A
MIXED-USE BUILDING, HOUSING AT
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
TODAY AN ISRAEL I REPRESENTATIVE
AND SECRETARY BLINKEN CONFIRMED
THAT ISRAEL HAS NOW PROVIDED THE
U.S. WITH SOME INTELLIGENCE
BEHIND -- THOUGH THEY HAVE NOT
MADE IT PUBLIC.
FOR THE LATEST ON THE GROUND,
JOINING ME IS AL JAZEERA REPORT,
HE RUSHED TO SAVE EQUIPMENT, AND
I KNOW THERES A VERY LONG
DELAY, YOURE ALSO HEARING THE
SOUND OF DRONES FLYING ABOVE.
ITS GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.
FIRST OF ALL, START BY TELLING
US WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED
SATURDAY.
>> I DONT KNOW WHERE TO START
FROM, AYMAN, ACTUALLY.
ITS LIKE EVERYDAY AFFAIRS.
WE HAD ESCALATION THAT STARTED
NINE DAYS AGO.
WE START THE DAY BE PREPARING
THE EQUIPMENT, THE CAMERA
EDITING MACHINES, YOU KNOW,
POSITIONING, DEPLOYING THE TEAM.
THE USUAL STUFF.
SUDDENLY THE NEIGHBOR -- I GUESS
YOU KNOW THE BUILDING HOUSE IS
IT MADE.
ITS HALF RESIDENTIAL, AND WE
WERE IN THE TOP OF THE EL JALAA
BUILDING.
THE ENABLE JUST CAME AND KNOCKED
ON THE DOOR SAYING I WAS
INFORMED BY THE ISRAELI ARMY TO
EVACUATE AND WE HAVE ONE HOUR.
IT IS THE LAST THING THAT YOU
EXPECT IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES AND
HARD CONDITIONS.
SO THE FIRST THING -- THE FIRST
REACTION WAS, LIKE, EVERYBODY
WAS PANICKING, REALLY -- ARE YOU
KIDDING?
OR SOMETHING?
SO, THE BUREAU CHIEF, HE
INFORMED EVERYBODY TO PREPARE
HIMSELF AND SAFETY FIRST, TO
GRAB AS MUCH AS WE COULD FROM
THE EQUIPMENT.
YOU KNOW, OUR OFFICE WAS LIKE
OUR SECOND HOME AT AL JAZEERA.
WE HAD BEEN SHARING LIFE, WORK
AND EITHER TOGETHER.
SO OUR COLLEAGUES TRIED TO GRAB
AS MUCH AS THEY COULD.
THEN WE OPENED THE DOOR AND WE
STARTED TO FLEE OUTSIDE.
THERES ONE ELEVATOR -- THERES
TENS OF FAMILIES LIVES IN THIS
BUILDING.
WE COULD SEE THE REST OF THE
NEIGHBORS PANICS.
THERE WERE LOTS OF CHILDREN,
WOMEN, EVERYBODY WAS TRY TO GO
GRAB AS MUCH AS THEY COULD.
IT WOULD BE ONE WAY, NO RETURN.
ONCE WE MANAGED TO LEAVE, TO BE
OUTSIDE THE BUILDING, THE FIRST
THING THAT WE THOUGHT OF IS HOW
TO GO IN THERE AGAIN AND KEEP
REPORTING.
AS YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS HAVE PLAN
B, EVEN PLAN C, D, WE WILL NEVER
STOP REPORTING.
>> RIGHT.
>> THIS IS NOT THE FIRST WAR,
NOT THE FIRST ESCALATION, AND
BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, INVASIONS AND
WARS, INCLUDING NOW FOUR WARS --
WARS IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.
SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS --
>> WE STARTED TO MAKE CONTACTS,
AND THEN --
>> LET ME ASK YOU THIS, IF I CAN
ASK QUICKLY.
WE DISPLAYED THE SOUND BITE FROM
THE U.S. SENATOR ABOUT WHETHER
THE REPORTERS BEING ACCUSED OF
BASICALLY HUMAN SHIELDS, AND
ISRAEL HAS -- TELL ME WHAT IT IS
THAT YOU SAW WORKING IN THAT
BUILDING.
>> YEAH, I COULD HEAR THAT IN
THE BACKGROUND, MAKING ME LAUGH,
FRANKLY.
I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THIS
BUILDING, 11 YEARS, AYMAN.
I KNOW EVERY PERSON IN THE
BUILDING.
THOSE WHO WERE LIVING HERE, NOW
THEY HAVE CHILDREN, SO WE KNOW
EVEN WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS COOK,
YOU KNOW.
WE COULD SMELL IT.
SO WE ARE FAMILIAR WITH EVERY
MOVEMENT, EVERY NEW NEIGHBOR
COMING IN OR OUT.
WE HAVE NEVER SEEN OR REALIZED
THAT THERES ANYONE OR ANY
SUSPICIOUS OFFICE OR MATERIAL OR
HUMAN BEING.
EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL, THE SAME
FACES, THE SAME ROUTINE OF 11
YEARS.
NEVER SEEN ANY SUSPICIOUS THING.
>> ARE YOU GOING TO CONTINUE TO REPORT FROM GAZA, DESPITE HAVING
REPORT FROM GAZA, DESPITE HAVING
THE BUILDING DESTROYED?
>> IMMEDIATELY WE CONTINUED
REPORTING.
WE WERE ON AIR THE SECOND AFTER
THE BOMBING, EVEN BEFORE THE
BOMBING, WE WERE OUTSIDE
REPORTING, AYMAN.
WE WILL NEVER STOP TELLING THE