Blinken hasn’t seen any evidence on AP Gaza building strike
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday he hasn't yet seen any evidence supporting Israel's claim that Hamas operated in a Gaza building housing The Associated Press and other media outlets that was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. Blinken said he has pressed Israel for justification.
Blinken spoke at a news conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, a day after The Associated Press' top editor called for an independent investigation into the Israeli airstrike over the weekend that targeted and destroyed a Gaza City building housing the AP, broadcaster Al-Jazeera and other media, saying the public deserves to know the facts.
Israel destroyed a building housing The Associated Press and Al Jazeera and claimed that
Hamas used the building for a military intelligence office.
Separately, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel's bombing of a building housing the media organizations as a possible war crime.
Sally Buzbee, AP's executive editor, said that the Israeli government has yet to provide clear evidence supporting its attack, which leveled the 12-story al-Jalaa tower.
The Israeli military, which gave AP journalists and other tenants about an hour to evacuate, claimed Hamas used the building for a military intelligence office and weapons development. Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said Israel was compiling evidence for the U.S. but declined to commit to providing it within the next two days.
Blinken said he personally has not seen any Israeli evidence of Hamas operating in the building and has asked Israel for justification for the strike.
"Shortly after the strike we did request additional details regarding the justification for it," Blinken said from Copenhagen, Denmark. He declined to discuss specific intelligence, saying he "will leave it to others to characterize if any information has been shared and our assessment that information."
But he said, "I have not seen any information provided."
On Sunday, Conricus, the
Israeli military spokesman said, "We're in the middle of fighting. That's in process and I'm sure in due time that information will be presented."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would share any evidence of Hamas' presence in the targeted building through intelligence channels. But neither the White House nor the State Department would say if any American official had seen it.
Buzbee said the AP has had offices in al-Jalaa tower for 15 years and never was informed or had any indication that Hamas might be in the building. She said the facts must be laid out.