US Intelligence Suggests Israel Not Responsible for Gaza Hospital Explosion, Says President Biden
The United States has announced that intelligence suggests Israel is “not responsible” for the deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital. President Joe Biden echoed Israel’s explanation, stating that the blast was likely caused by an “errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza.” The explosion occurred at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the center of Gaza City, where thousands were sheltering, resulting in hundreds of likely casualties, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
Palestinian officials have blamed Israeli airstrikes for the massive loss of life, but Israel maintains its innocence. The US National Security Council (NSC) conducted an analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts, and open-source information and found that Israel was not responsible for the explosion, according to NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson. Initial evidence from the American intelligence community suggests that the strike came from a rocket launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, a rival Islamist militant group to Hamas in Gaza.
Evidence gathered includes a blast analysis suggesting a ground explosion rather than an airstrike, as well as extensive fire damage and scattered debris consistent with an explosion originating from the ground level. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had previously accused Palestinian Islamic Jihad of causing the explosion, as one of its rockets misfired towards Israel. The group denies the allegations, calling them “false and baseless” in a statement.
The conflicting narratives of what caused the blast come at a dangerous new phase in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which threatens to escalate regionally. The situation has sparked widespread anger, leading to protests across the Middle East and North Africa. Demonstrators have condemned the hospital explosion in multiple cities, including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Tunisia. Protests in Ramallah turned violent as demonstrators clashed with Palestinian security forces.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with concerns growing over Israel’s restrictions on food, fuel, and electricity. UN agencies have warned that food stocks are less than a week away from depletion, and Gaza’s last seawater desalination plant has shut down, increasing the risk of dehydration and waterborne diseases. Conditions for the 2.2 million people trapped in Gaza are dire, as Israeli airstrikes continue to target various areas.
The hospital tragedy has further complicated diplomatic efforts to ease the suffering in Gaza. Several nations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, have condemned Israel following the explosion. Jordan canceled a summit between President Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas withdrew from the meeting in the aftermath of the blast.
Urgent calls for help are mounting, and diplomatic efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor out of Gaza have intensified. President Biden has demanded that Israel allow humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt, but Israel has stated that it will only allow supplies once Hamas releases all hostages. As the conflict escalates, the region remains on edge, with no immediate solution in sight.