Public opinion needs to know the facts, so the US Associated Press agency asked to open an independent investigation into the Israeli air attack that destroyed a large building in Gaza City that housed the offices of AP, the broadcaster Al-Jazeera and other media. Sally Buzbee, director of AP, argues that the Israeli government has yet to provide clear and irrefutable evidence in support of its attack, which leveled al-Jalaa's 12-story tower. The Israeli army justified the attack because of the presence in the tower of some important Hamas offices. Tel Aviv also said it alerted civilians in the tower an hour before the attack.
The Israeli army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, told AP reporters that Israel was gathering evidence for the United States, but declined to provide it by saying, "We are in the middle of a fight, I'm sure that the information will be presented in due course". Buzbee said AP had had offices in the al-Jalaa tower for 15 years and was never informed or had any indication that Hamas might have a headquarters in the building. "We are in a situation of conflict ", Buzbee said, “We do not take sides in that conflict. We have heard the Israelis say they have evidence; we don't know what these tests are ”. “We believe that at this point it is appropriate that there is an independent look at what happened.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday he repeated the Israeli claim that the building housed a Hamas intelligence office. Buzbee said AP reporters were "agitated" after the airstrike, but they are fine and are reporting the news. He expressed concern about the impact on news coverage. "This affects the world's right to know what's happening in real time ".