IDF officials say barrage of rockets fired by terrorists in Gaza, one of which failed and hit hospital
A hospital run by Hamas in the Gaza Strip that treats wounded Palestinians and shelters others was hit by an airstrike on Tuesday. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that at least 500 people were killed in the attack. Hamas blamed Israeli forces for the airstrikes, while the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) blamed Islamic Jihad.
The hunt for Hamas terror group leader Yahya Sinwar: “Dead man walking”
Earlier in the day, when asked about the incident, the IDF said it was investigating the source of the blast and insisted the hospital was an “extremely sensitive building” and was not the IDF’s intended target.
After an investigation, the IDF presented its findings regarding the source of the airstrike.
“Analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that terrorists fired a barrage of rockets into Gaza that were close to Al-Ahli [Baptist] Hospital in Gaza at the time of the damage,” IDF officials said. “Intelligence from multiple sources in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad was responsible for the failed rocket launch that hit the hospital in Gaza.”
Shortly after the strike, a senior Hamas official told Fox, “After the barbaric attack, it’s too early to talk about it.”
Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that. @POTUS this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) October 17, 2023
Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many… https://t.co/mZYoifT7bj
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., accused Israel of orchestrating the strike on the hospital in a post she previously wrote on X, known as Twitter.
“Israel bombed Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients),” Tlaib tweeted on Tuesday. “[President Biden] This is what happens when you refuse to facilitate [and] help with a ceasefire. Your war and destruction alone have opened my eyes and many Palestinian Americans and Muslim Americans like me. We will remember where you were. .”
Hours after her post on social media, the IDF released its statement on X that the hospital was hit by a Hamas rocket from a barrage of missiles, not an Israeli missile.
Hamas fired rockets at Tel Aviv on Tuesday. The group is targeting central Israel several times a day.