The Good News: Israel Bombed the ap/al jazeera/hamas Building in Gaza; the Bad News: The ap/al jazeera/hamas Operatives All Got Away

By Grand Rapids Anonymous
Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 12:04:00 P.M. EDT

Israel Bombs ap Building in Gaza—Can We Borrow Their Air Force to Do the Same Thing Here?

(miami herald) In the latest in a series of attacks, an Israeli airstrike Saturday leveled a high-rise building after the military ordered occupants to evacuate. Inside were the offices of several media outlets — including the associated press and al-jazeera— and residential apartments.

An ap statement said all employees and freelancers safely evacuated the building. ap President and CEO Gary Pruitt said the company is looking to the Israeli government for answers.

“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,” he said. “They have long known the location of our bureau and knew journalists [sic] were there.

“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.”

Following the attack, the Israel Defense Forces released a statement saying the building was attacked because it was used by Hamas intelligence offices. IDF provided advanced warning to the building’s civilian occupants before fighter jets attacked, providing “sufficient time” to evacuate, it said.

“The building contained civilian media offices, which the Hamas terror organization hides behind and uses as human shields,” the statement read. “The Hamas terror organization deliberately places military targets at the heart of densely populated civilian areas in the Gaza Strip.”

But Pruitt said the ap has called on the Israeli government to bring forth evidence to support that claim.

“We have had no indication Hamas was in the building or active in the building,” the CEO said in the statement. “This is something we actively check to the best of our ability. We would never knowingly put our journalists at risk.”

GRA: ap is either incompetent or lying—just like in the states.

--GRA

N.S.: It’s not at all clear to me that in this case, “ap,” “al Jazeera,” and “hamas” refer to three different groups, as opposed to one.