WATCH: Anderson Cooper rattled by a bomb explosion in Gaza
The seasoned war reporter is visibly shaken on the air after a bomb explodes dangerously close to him

The video: As the violence escalates between Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza, Anderson Cooper went live in the midst of the hostilities to report for CNN. While he spoke on camera, a bomb exploded alarmingly close to him, interrupting his broadcast and leaving him visibly shaken. "Whoa," he exclaimed, grimacing slightly. "That was a rather large explosion." After the blast, Cooper was surprisingly calm as he continued his report, calling the explosion the largest one he'd heard in the past hour. Take a look at Cooper's close call:
The reaction: "Talk about courage under fire," says Hillary Busis at Entertainment Weekly. This is no laughing matter, and Cooper handled it like a pro. The report made for "extremely compelling — and real — television," said Alex Weprin at TV Newser, reminding us how tangible the violence is. As one blog put it: "Be safe out there, Silver Fox!"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published