The Biden Administration said the bombing was likely caused by a misfired Hamas missile.
Topline
Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) faced blowback on Wednesday after blaming Israel for bombing a hospital in Gaza, an allegation leveled by Palestinian officials and disputed by Israel—as U.S. intelligence officials say the hospital was likely hit by a misfired missile from a militant group.Key Facts
Tlaib, the only Palestinian American in Congress, tweeted “Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians” around 2 p.m. Tuesday, while blaming the Biden Administration for failing to “facilitate a ceasefire and help de-escalate.”
Omar also called for a ceasefire in a tweet Tuesday afternoon that said “the IDF reportedly blowing up” the hospital is “horrific.”
The allegations—initially made by the Palestinian Health Ministry and shared widely by news outlets like the Associated Press and Forbes—were later disputed by Israeli officials, who claimed the explosion at the Gaza hospital was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Gaza-based militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
President Joe Biden and the Senate Intelligence Committee backed up Israel’s account on Wednesday, citing Defense Department data that showed the explosion was likely the result of a misfired rocket launch rather than an Israeli airstrike.
Tlaib and Omar had not deleted the tweets as of Wednesday afternoon, prompting criticism from fellow lawmakers, including Rep.
