Hamas accused Israel of hitting a hospital in Gaza City, killing hundreds, but Israel says a Palestinian militant group caused the strike.
Topline
An explosion at a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday reportedly killed hundreds of people, with the Palestinian Health Ministry blaming an Israeli airstrike and Israel denying it, saying Palestinian rockets hit the hospital—as Israel hits targets in Gaza in the wake of Hamas’ deadly offensive against Israel just over a week ago.Key Facts
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces claimed the hospital was hit in a “failed shooting” by Gaza-based militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, during an “enemy rocket barrage” aimed at Israel that passed over the hospital at the time the facility was struck.
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu also claimed the airstrike was the result of a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, citing “intelligence from multiple sources.”
The Palestinian Health Ministry, meanwhile, alleges the hospital was hit by an Israeli airstrike, part of a dayslong bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The explosion at Gaza’s Ahli Arab Hospital killed at least 200 people, a Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson initially told the New York Times, saying the death toll from the strike is likely to increase.
