The CEO of the Associated Press, Gary Pruitt said in a statement on Saturday that his staff in Gaza was safe after the building housing the AP offices was destroyed in an Israeli raid.
"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," Pruitt said. "They have long known the location of our bureau and knew journalists were there. We received a warning that the building would be hit. We are seeking information from the Israeli government and are engaged with the U.S. State Department to try to learn more.
Pruitt added that 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 is happening in Gaza because of what happened today," Pruitt's statement concluded.