People stand by the bodies of Palestinians killed after an explosion at the Ahli Arab hospital in central Gaza.
New Delhi:
Hamas and Israel traded accusations after an explosion hit a hospital in war-torn Gaza, killing more than 500 people. While Hamas claims the blast was caused by an Israeli missile, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has continued to insist it played no role in the attack. The Israeli military blamed Palestinian militants and said the outbound Islamic Jihad rocket had failed.
To support their claims, Israel released a series of videos of the explosion, one of which showed the hospital and its surroundings before and after the rocket hit.
“A failed rocket launch by the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad struck Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. IAF footage of the area around the hospital before and after the failed rocket launch by the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad,” IDF said while sharing the video on X (formerly Twitter).
A failed rocket launch by the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad hit Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza City.
IAF images from the hospital area before and after the failed rocket launch by the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad: pic.twitter.com/AvCAkQULAf
– Israeli Defense Forces (@IDF) October 18, 2023
The video shows the building catching fire after the rocket landed in the hospital parking lot. The Israeli army claimed that their weapons, especially their rockets, had a large impact and created craters where they hit.
They said there are no visible craters near the hospital and even the building does not appear to have sustained any significant damage.
Asked about the size of the explosion at the site, Israeli military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari said it was consistent with unused rocket fuel igniting. “The majority of this damage would have been caused by the propellant, and not just the warhead,” he said.
Hagari also accused Hamas of increasing the number of victims of the explosion and said it could not know as quickly as it claimed what caused the explosion.
Nearly 500 people were killed in the explosion at the Ahli Arab Hospital, according to Gaza health authorities. There were scenes of chaos on the ground as the dead and injured were taken to nearby medical centers.
At Al-Shifa Hospital, dozens of bodies lay wrapped in blood-stained sheets and white plastic wrap on the floors. Stunned relatives tried to identify loved ones.
With tensions high after the explosion, Arab leaders canceled a summit with US President Joe Biden, who landed in Israel today.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates were among the countries that condemned the attack and blamed Israel for it.
Before Tuesday’s blast, health authorities in Gaza said at least 3,000 people had been killed in Israel’s 11-day bombardment, which began after an Oct. 7 Hamas rampage on southern Israeli communities, killing 1,400 people and sending about 200 as hostages. were brought to Gaza.
The fighting has raised fears of a widening war in the Middle East. The United States has sent aircraft carriers to support Israel, while Hamas allies including Iran and Tehran’s Lebanese ally Hezbollah have pledged to respond to a planned Israeli ground invasion of Gaza.
