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The View’s Whoopi Goldberg panicked when a “security incident” interrupted a live broadcast from Israel during Tuesday’s show.
Whoopi, 67, and the rest of the panel spoke with ABC News chief correspondent Matt Gutman, who reported from just outside Sderot, one of the first settlements attacked by the Hamas gunman who breached the border. town shortly after sunrise last Saturday.
When Matt, 45, explained that there had been “small arms fire” at his exact location for the past hour and a half, he was approached by a man dressed in uniform who told him: “The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has immediately warned that everyone to leave. There’s a security incident close to us.’
Dressed in a black T-shirt and a bulletproof vest, Matt began walking backwards as he continued to talk to the camera as Whoopi commanded, “Do whatever you gotta do, we got you.”
“We’re doing fine, we’re just walking to the car that’s there,” he replied, before adding: “But can I explain what’s going on? They’ve had this battle and I want to show you what’s going on here…
The View’s Whoopi Goldberg seemed concerned during Tuesday’s episode when a live broadcast in Israel was interrupted due to a ‘security incident’
Whoopi and the panel spoke with ABC News Chief Correspondent Matt Gutman
Matt, 45, was approached by a man in uniform who told him that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had immediately issued a warning
The Sister Act star urged Matt to “get in the car” as he made his way to the vehicle
“These armored jeeps are heading towards where we heard this incessant gunfire and just on the other side of the bridge we saw a large number of troops heading that way, you see the ambulances there.”
As he continued walking and talking, Whoopi told him to “get in a car, Matt. Yeah, get in the car,” as her co-host Sara Haines added, “Be careful, Matt.”
Whoopi seemed lost when the programming went back to the studio and said, “Well, that’s what happens when it’s live and you’re in the middle of it. Our fingers are crossed that he is safe and that he will remain safe.”
Joy Behar, 81, added: “Oh my God.”
Alyssa Farah Griffin, 34, praised the “incredible journalists” reporting from the war zone, telling her co-hosts: “We are witnessing true evil and I… my heart is with the Israeli people. My heart prays for a peaceful resolution to this.”
When the show returned from its first commercial break, Whoopi and her co-hosts spoke to Matt again – who confirmed he was now safe.
“There’s quite a significant troop movement happening here. We’re okay where we are right now, but you can hear bangs in the distance. There was a lot of gunfire, a helicopter and a gunship in the air. Obviously they found something, but we’re safe now, Whoopi,” Matt explained.
‘We are just outside Sderot and about a mile in that direction is the border with Gaza, just slightly to the left of where I am now is the town of Kfar Aza, which was decimated. This whole area here, all the towns have been completely evacuated of civilians, many of the people there have been killed.
Whoopi urged Matt to ‘get in the car’ as he continued to talk to the camera despite the ‘safety incident’
Whoopi said they were “hoping the best for everyone,” while wishing Matt the best
Matt reported from Sderot, which he described as a ‘ghost town’ due to the recent attacks
Smoke is seen near the Gaza-Israel border fence on October 7
Palestinians run through a cap after tearing down the fence on the Israel-Gaza border and enter Israel after clashes and attacks in Gaza City, Gaza on October 7
‘The death toll is over 900. Now we understood that the Israeli army had cleared this area, but that appears not to be the case. So they think Hamas militants are still there.”
As footage played of Matt experiencing another close call during his reporting on Monday, Sara then asked him: “This is all incredibly dangerous, how are you feeling at a moment like this?”
Matt responded, “I feel for the people who live here. You get an insight into what it’s like to live under those explosions and these cities are completely emptied. So yes, I was scared, but I also felt like, “These people lived like this.”
‘It’s incredibly difficult and disturbing, these areas are ghost towns, you don’t see anyone moving anymore. And that is the situation in much of Israel right now. There is a tremendous amount of trauma right now, a tremendous amount of anger. Also on the Palestinian side. But what is so worrying is that there seems to be no end in sight.”
Whoopi urged him to “stay safe” again, saying, “We’re there you and we hope the best for everyone before we take the show to another commercial break.
Viewers tuning in at home were also quick to send their well wishes to Matt and share their thoughts online.
“Prayers up for Matt Gutman #theView,” one person wrote on Twitter, while another wrote, “Matt, please be careful! #the view.’
Alyssa Farah Griffin praised the “incredible journalists” reporting from the war zone
The Sister Act star remained somber as her co-host Sara Haines shared her thoughts
Sunny Hostin told her co-hosts that “there are losers on both sides” of the ongoing fight
Joy Behar appeared speechless and said ‘oh my God’ as Matt fled his location
Someone else added: ‘This is scary! Matt and crew better stay safe #TheView.”
The war began after Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel last Saturday, bringing gun battles to the streets for the first time in decades.
At least 1,600 lives have been claimed on both sides, and perhaps hundreds more. Israel said on Tuesday the death toll had risen above 1,000, although separate reports suggested the total toll could be much higher.
In Gaza and the West Bank, 704 people have been killed, according to authorities there; Israel says there are hundreds of Hamas fighters among them. Thousands have been injured on both sides.
The bodies of about 1,500 Hamas fighters have been found on Israeli territory, the army said. It was not immediately clear whether these figures overlapped with deaths previously reported by Palestinian authorities.