Israeli airstrikes destroyed
a high-rise building in Gaza that
several media outlets operate out
of, including the Associated Press
and Al Jazeera.
According to the AP President and
C CEO Gary Pruitt,
the situation was incredibly awful.
You can tell that there's a lot of
anger about this.
We are shocked and horrified that
the Israeli military would target
and destroy the building housing
AP's bureau and
other news organizations in Gaza.
They have long known the location
of our Bureau and new journalists
were there we received a warning
that the building would be hit.
And once it was hit,
this is what the scene look like.
That is the Al Jala tower.
That tower is where
Al Jazeera's office is.
Are warehoused.
The Associated Press offices
were also housed in that building.
Fortunately, no journalist was
harmed and they were offered
a different space to work out of.
Thanks to the wire service that
operates in France, the AFP.
So they're sharing office space now
because they want to continue doing
their reporting on the ground.
Gary Pruitt the AP president CEO
also said this is an incredibly
disturbing development we narrowly
avoided a terrible loss of life.
A dozen AP journalists and
freelancers were inside
the building and thankfully we were
able to evacuate them in time.
The world will know less about
what's happening in Gaza because
of what happened today.
Now, that again was a statement
shortly after the tower was hit
with an Israeli airstrike.
So there's now a debate about
whether or not Israel had any
evidence that Hamas was operating
out of that building.
Because there excuse for
Striking it was that Hamas was
operating out of that building.
The Associated Press is demanding
evidence of that.
The IDF is honestly really
struggling to make people believe
that they had evidence of that.
But even if they did, does it make
sense to strike a building that is
civilians are in that international
journalists are operating out of?
And also,
how come these journalists weren't
given an opportunity to take their
equipment with them.
The owner of the building was on
the phone with the Israeli military
begging them to allow
the journalists to take
their equipment.
And unfortunately they were not
given that opportunity >> Yeah,
look, people wanting to play
childish games.
Maybe there was some I say there's
a former AP reporter back from 2014
that said that Hamas might have
fired rockets from near there.
This is seven years later.
That's the best evidence you have.
Seven years later.
A former reporter at some point.
And then they said, no,
we gave the guy evidence to
the United States government.
And quote, I understand they found
the explanation satisfactory.
Did they?
First of all, it's a joke, right.
I told my best friend that
the reason I punched that guy in
the face, was xyz and he found
my explanation satisfactory?
Yeah, of course he did.
He's your best friend.
US backs Israel 100% on every
single issue.
Right now the United Nations 14 or
15 members of security council are
trying to pass a resolution, trying
to stop the bloodshed in Israel,
not even condemning Israel yet.
Hey, just can we stop the fighting-
>> Demanding a ceasefire.
>> Demanding a ceasefire,
the US like no, no,
we don't want to a ceasefire we
want to kill more Palestinians.
We want to show them who's boss.
We want to
show them that they should give
up their any attempted freedom.
So that's what the US to do.
So the US founded it satisfactory?
Yeah, of course the US the most
biased country in the world,
when it comes to Israel.
I can name you dozens of
resolutions that every other
country agree to except the United
States, when it comes to Israel.
So this is the worst excuse ever.
Now, let's talk about what the real
reasons are for grownups, who don't
believe in childish propaganda.
>> I actually if you don't mind, I
would like to go to the interviews
featuring Brian Stelter and a
member of the IDF, a spokesperson.
Because I think it's important
to hear from that spokesperson.
And then Cenk, you can go off.
>> Yeah, let's do. >> Let's
watch the first.
>> Are you able to provide
proof now,
that Hamas was in the building?
>> Not only was Hamas
in the building, they were actively
using it to fight against Israel.
They were using the infrastructure,
as their command centre, and
intelligent centre.
It is a, as you said
in the beginning we deem it to be
a legitimate military target and
out of consideration for human life
and for the people who work there.
We chose to forfeit additional
military gains.
In by surprise attacking and
instead, we did what of course is
the right thing
to do advanced warning and
allow everybody to clear.
>> Can you show us the evidence?
Can you hold it up?
Can you show us the pictures,
the intelligent to have?
>> That's in process and I am and
I'm sure that in due time that
information will be presented.
So far- >> But
shouldn't that have happened 24
hours ago?
>> Again, we've said very clearly
what's in the building.
>> Right, but if you all knew Hamas
was in the building you were about
to bomb, a news bureau,
you could have provided
the evidence an hour or two later.
>> Well, it's not about bombing
a news bureau.
It's about the fact that Hamas
systematically uses civilian
infrastructure for
their military purposes.
>> So it's the same story over and
over again.
And I hope you guys can be
understanding toward those myself
included who are skeptical of
this so called evidence.
And I have one more video to show
you featuring that spokesperson.
But Cenk, why don't you jump in?
>> Yeah, first of all,
great job by Brian Stelter,
thank you for
actually pressing him on that.
Normally in American media,
Israeli Defense Forces will come on
Lie, lie, lie, lie, lie and
every anchor will dutifully say,
yes, Hamas are the terrorists.
And you guys occupying them is not
at all state violence.
No, God bless your hearts.
Thank you for bringing
the truth to us.
So that didn't happen here.
So thank you to Brian Stelter for
doing a little bit of
journalism there.
In terms of this guy's nonsense,
we'll present the evidence later.
Yeah, that's not remotely
convincing.
And Stelter made a good point.
If you're going to bomb the AP news
Bureau and Al Jazeera etc.
And your bomb,
this giant building and you had all
this evidence all this time.
You would think that maybe you
would have that prepared and
say, it was just a tragedy to bomb
the news Bureau.
We didn't, that's just, that's
the last thing we want to do.
But here's your evidence right here
that we had prepared.
Why don't you tell
the Associated Press before?
Hey, by the way that you guys are
living, you know are in the same
building as a nest of terrorist
dangerous terrorists, right?
How come you didn't tell
everybody else?
So no it look if you believe.
It's not about Israel,
if you believe that military
official military spokespeople of
almost any government in the middle
of a conflict.
I mean, you're just you're not
very bright, okay?
The Pentagon lies 24/7 in
the middle of conflicts,
the Israeli Defense Forces does.
Again, you could name any country.
Saudis, Turks, Iraq, it Afghans,
it doesn't matter, okay?
I see the military says that
they did.
As they killed all those people
they did a perfectly great thing
as they destroyed the news Bureau,
they were perfectly justified.
Look, guys before we go to
the next clip.
They were shooting out of that
building.
I don't mean shooting guns or
rockets.
They were shooting video of
the carnage in the city- >> Yeah.
>> One of the best vantage points
in the city was on top
of that building.
That's why the associate press and
Al Jazeera were both in
that building.
Among the reasons why is because
they you shot video of the bombs
landing, Israeli bombs landing in
the middle of Gaza Streets from on
top of that building.
And now they have no equipment.
They don't have no roof, because
the buildings gone, and they have
no ability to report war crimes.
If you think that has nothing to do
with the fact that they bombed that
particular building.
No, you're so biased,
you literally can't see straight.
And so there's no point
in trying to talk to you.
Any rational human being can see
that they clearly targeted
the media for that specific reason.
>> One more video,
it's the same IDF spokesperson.
>> Israeli intelligence has
presented the intelligence to
the united states,
that the Biden White House knows
about this intelligence.
Can you confirm that report in
the Jerusalem Post?
>> Unfortunately, I cannot.
I don't know what they base that
report on.
>> Sir, what about a timeline for
the proof that you say will
be provided today, tomorrow >> No,
I cannot commit to that either.
I don't know.
I mean, I I know that you know,
we're in the middle of
fighting here.
Our civilians are being bombarded
by up until now.
2900 rockets we have nine dead
Israeli civilians one dead soldier.
The country is under constant
relentless bombardment,
civilians are in shelters.
5, 6 million Israeli civilians are
in shelter, almost the entire day.
So yes, it's very important and
I understand that many
people are very concerned about it.
I am sure that Israeli officials
will get to it as soon as possible.
But at now, the order of the day is
to beat Hamas and to overcome the
military challenges that are life
threatening for our civilians.
>> You know, the defense minister
for Israel Bennigan's
very transparently,
openly said that Gaza will burn.
The IDF spokesperson there
mentioned that there are 10 dead
Israelis as a result of the rocket
fire coming from Hamas.
But fails to mention that there are
literally hundreds of Palestinians
including women and children.
Palestinian civilians who have died
as a result of the relentless
bombardment of airstrikes
coming from The Israeli military.
I think that context matters.
And real quick.
What Brian Stelter was referring to
at the very beginning of that clip
was an article that was
published by the Jerusalem Post.
The headline is Israel showed us
smoking gun on Hamas in AP
office tower, officials say.
But what's also fascinating about
this is that Anthony Blinken who's
Secretary of State, and
is certainly not a fan of
the Palestinians.
Has not done anything to defend
them, and
has only gone out to bat for
the Israeli government said this.
Breaking US Secretary of
State Anthony Blinken says he has
not seen any Israeli evidence
of Hamas operating in a Gaza
office building.
That Israel destroyed in
an airstrike, the building house
the Associated Press, broadcaster
Al Jazeera and other media.
>> If you can't get Blinken to
confirm what you're saying,
that means you'd ever presented any
evidence.
It missed the secretary of
state the United States Secretary
state evidence, secret evidence.
That you've presented and
claimed on their behalf,
they were satisfied with.
Then Blinken it actually comes
out a billion percent supporter
of Israeli right wing government.
It comes on goes,
No I didn't see any of this.
Okay honestly they should,
again Stelter did a great job
of questioning there but
they honestly shouldn't even have
that IDF spokesperson there.
It's totally useless.
You're never going
to get any bug propaganda.
But here I'll ask your question.
Would it be okay to have Hamas'
military leader, or
military spokesperson on there
saying, the Israelis had it coming,
and that, we killed them,
they killed 10 people,
one of them was a kid, in Israel.
It was a legitimate military strike
and you know what?
The kid shouldn't have been there,
Israelis are hiding behind their
kids and so we were right to do it
and it's all Israel's fault is that
no people will say no,
you can't get terrorists,
terrorists terrorists, right?
What so and
here's another thing I'm done with
The word terrorist.
So, when you have no power,
you're a terrorist.
When the state crushes you,
you're a terrorist.
When you have all the power in
the world and you drop any bomb you
like on any family you like,
you're not a terrorist.
Wait, the States, America, Israel,
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, you name it.
The States kill way more than
the so called terrorists.
They kill way more civilians than
the so called terrorists.
And then they say, no,
the powerless are the ones that
deserve their deaths.
And we will call them
terrorists, okay?
And us,
we are legitimate state actors and
we are to be cherished.
And if we kill civilians,
it doesn't count.
It only counts when
they kill civilians.
No, you guys are all liars.
So I'm here to tell you
the reality.
No, both sides kill civilians.
And then in every conflict of my
lifetime, Israel has killed 10, 20,
sometimes 100 times more civilians.
And then pretended that the other
side or the terrorist and for
the specific reason
of killing civilians.
If you can't see the lie in that,
you're trying super hard not to.
So you can come out with me with
all these things.
No, I'm going to
call you dirty words.
I don't care.
I care about those kids.
If you don't care about them,
those all those civilians and all
those kids being killed, there's
something morally wrong with you.