Israel vs Hamas, Gaza Strip Hospital Explosion Sparks Blame Dispute

500 Dead in Hospital Attack... Global Condemnation Pours In
Both Sides Deny Responsibility Amid 'International Law Violation' Criticism

A large explosion occurred on the 17th (local time) at a hospital in the center of the Gaza Strip, governed by the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, killing at least 500 people and sparking a blame game between Israel, Hamas, and another Palestinian armed faction, Islamic Jihad.

Following Hamas's airstrike on Israel on the 7th, civilian casualties had already been spreading uncontrollably, raising global concerns. The attack on the hospital has led to widespread accusations of violations of international law.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to the daily newspaper The Guardian and others, the Gaza Strip Ministry of Health announced that the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza was hit by an Israeli airstrike in the afternoon, resulting in at least 500 deaths. The Ministry reported, "Hundreds are injured, and hundreds of victims are still trapped under the rubble," indicating that the death toll is expected to rise.

Hamas described the attack as a "hospital massacre" and strongly condemned Israel. Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority who was scheduled to hold a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden on the 18th, canceled the meeting and returned to the West Bank, declaring a three-day mourning period.

After the airstrike, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that the incident was the work of another Palestinian Islamic terrorist group, Islamic Jihad.

The Israeli military issued a statement on social media under the spokesperson's name, saying, "Analysis of the military operation system shows that the rocket was launched by terrorists within the Gaza Strip and was passing near the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital at the time of the explosion." They added, "According to information obtained through multiple channels, Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch that struck the Gaza hospital."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also issued a separate statement, rebutting, "The world must know that the attack on the Gaza hospital was carried out by barbaric terrorists and not the Israel Defense Forces."

The Israeli government immediately shared the secured information with U.S. authorities and expressed willingness to share related information worldwide to prove Israel's non-responsibility for the incident. This reportedly includes audio recordings obtained through wiretapping of Islamic Jihad members admitting responsibility for the incident and related closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.

Islamic Jihad, which Israel pointed to as the party responsible for attacking the hospital, denied the Israeli military's claims, AFP reported. The group stated, "The Zionist enemies are trying to evade responsibility for the brutal massacre," and "We clearly state that the accusations made by the enemy are false and baseless."

The tragedy has led to strong condemnation of Israel by Islamic countries, and Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority canceled their meetings with President Biden, who was scheduled to visit Israel on the 18th, causing widespread repercussions. Depending on which side is found responsible for the disaster, significant impacts on the political situation are inevitable.

Currently, the U.S. Department of Defense has stated that it has not yet confirmed who was responsible for the airstrike on the Gaza hospital. President Biden has instructed security authorities to continue gathering relevant information to accurately understand what happened.

President Biden is scheduled to visit Israel on the 18th to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.