Israel has denied responsibility for the explosion at a Gaza hospital, which Hamas alleges resulted in the deaths of at least 500 people, with many more trapped under the rubble.
According to intelligence information, the Israeli army claims that the strike on al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City was the result of a rocket misfire by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists.”
However, a spokesperson for Islamic Jihad has strongly disputed this claim, asserting that it is ‘completely inaccurate’ and accusing the IDF of ‘attempting to conceal the horrific tragedy and large-scale loss of civilian lives they caused.’
During the time of the explosion, it is reported that hundreds of individuals were seeking refuge at the hospital, which Hamas has described as a ‘terrible massacre’ and an act of ‘genocide.
The tragedy unfolded as the United States was making efforts to persuade Israel to permit the delivery of essential supplies to the distressed civilians, humanitarian organizations, and hospitals in the confined Gaza Strip, which has been under a comprehensive blockade since the violent incident involving Hamas in southern Israel.
It also occurred one day before U.S. President Joe Biden’s scheduled visit to the region, aimed at demonstrating support for Israel and working to prevent the escalation of the conflict.
It is reported that Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas has opted to cancel the meeting with Biden as a form of protest against the airstrike.
A review of IDF operational systems has pointed to the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization as ‘having a connection to the unsuccessful gunfire that struck the hospital.’
The military, in an official statement, clarified that a ‘series of rocket volleys were launched by Gaza-based terrorists, with some passing very near Ahli hospital in Gaza when it was struck.’
An IDF spokesperson further stated, ‘Information gathered from various sources available to us strongly points to Islamic Jihad’s involvement in the unsuccessful rocket launch that struck the hospital in Gaza.’
The Islamic Jihad is another terrorist group based in Gaza, which has professed to be aligned with Hamas in their struggle against Israel. However, the group has denied any responsibility for the attack.
On Tuesday, the Israeli army emphasized that a hospital is a ‘highly sensitive facility’ and emphasized that it is ‘not a target for the IDF.’ They urged caution when reporting unverified claims made by terrorist organizations.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has also attributed the attack to the United States, stating in a televised address late on Tuesday that Washington provided Israel with ‘the pretext for its aggression.’
‘The hospital tragedy underscores the enemy’s brutality and the extent of its sense of defeat,’ he remarked, and he believes that this attack will mark ‘a new turning point.’
Haniyeh has called upon all Palestinian people to ‘stand up and resist the occupation and the settlers.’ He has also urged all Arabs and Muslims to organize protests against Israel.
Former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal has also urged protests in front of Israeli embassies worldwide following the hospital explosion.