According to Palestinian officials, a massive explosion at a hospital in Gaza resulted in hundreds of deaths. The hospital, Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, was serving as a shelter for displaced individuals when it was bombed. Palestinian authorities attribute the incident to ongoing Israeli airstrikes, while the Israel Defense Forces deny any involvement, attributing it to a failed rocket launch by a rival militant group, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The situation raises humanitarian concerns as Israel has been accused of restricting essential resources like food, fuel, and electricity to the people in Gaza. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told CNN:
We did not strike that, and that the intelligence that we have suggests that it was a failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad, and I want to add, categorically, that we do not intentionally strike any sensitive facilities, and definitely not hospitals.
Gaza has been under siege by Israel following a deadly attack by Hamas, the controlling militant group. The enclave, home to 2.2 million people, is facing electricity and water shortages, putting a strain on hospitals trying to care for the wounded. Humanitarian aid is accumulating at Gaza’s closed border, awaiting safe passage.
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US President Joe Biden plans to visit Israel to address the crisis, but a scheduled summit in Jordan was cancelled due to the hospital blast. The Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, housing evacuated individuals, was bombed, with conflicting reports of casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blames Hamas for the attack, referring to them as “barbaric terrorists.” He is quoted as saying:
Whoever brutally murdered our children is also murdering their children.
Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari stated that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) possesses evidence, including intercepted communications and drone footage, suggesting that the hospital incident was orchestrated by the Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza. The IDF plans to release the footage and audio to support their claims.
Meanwhile, both Israeli and Gazan officials continue to blame each other for the tragedy. As a response, protests have erupted in various Middle Eastern cities, including Amman, where demonstrators attempted to reach the Israeli embassy.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, over the past week of Israeli bombardment in Gaza, more than 3,000 people have been killed, including a significant number of children, and around 12,500 have been injured. These casualties have exceeded the number of deaths during the 2014 Gaza-Israel conflict. While the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claim they do not target hospitals, international organizations like the UN and Doctors Without Borders report that medical facilities, including hospitals and ambulances, have been hit by Israeli airstrikes. On Tuesday, Israeli warplanes struck densely populated refugee camps and a school housing displaced people, resulting in the deaths of at least 18 individuals. In the occupied West Bank, at least 61 people have been killed, and 20 humanitarian workers have lost their lives in Gaza, according to the UN.