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Airstrike Kills Hundreds In Gaza Hospital; Israel Blames Islamic Jihad Group, Palestine Denies Meeting Joe Biden
Nishtha Anushree
Oct 18, 2023, 10:20 AM | Updated 10:24 AM IST
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The Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson has reported that a Gaza City hospital, al-Ahli Hospital, was hit by a blast on Tuesday (17 October), resulting in the deaths of hundreds.
Israel attributed the incident to a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which denied involvement. Palestinian officials claimed it was an Israeli airstrike, with the health minister accusing Israel of a "massacre."
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson, RAdm. Daniel Hagari, confirmed in a video message that Islamic Jihad was responsible for the failed rocket launch that hit the hospital in Gaza. According to IDF's analysis, a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing close to al-Ahli Hospital at the time of the impact.
Regardless of the party at fault, managing the issue is expected to be challenging. Hamas claimed that the explosion killed patients and those displaced by Israeli shelling.
The blast occurred on the eve of a planned visit by US President Joe Biden to Israel to express support for the country's conflict with Hamas and to discuss Israel's efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
In response to the hospital blast, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan’s King Abdullah II announced their withdrawal from a planned Arab summit with President Biden, Live Mint reported.
Several Arab nations, including Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt, condemned the hospital attack. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi described it as "a clear violation of international law and humanity."
The incident sparked condemnation and protests in various Arab countries, with demonstrations near Israeli embassies in Turkey and Jordan and the US embassy in Lebanon. Protests were also reported in Yemen, Morocco, and Iraq.
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Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.
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