Horrific day in Gaza: Airstrike on hospital in Palestine kills 500

Although Israel claimed a Palestinian rocket was to blame for the explosion, Gaza authorities claimed an Israeli airstrike on a hospital in the Palestinian enclave on Tuesday killed over 500 people. During the recent violence in Gaza, the death toll was by far the largest of any single incident. As a result, protests were started in the occupied West Bank, Istanbul, and Amman.

Israel charged with “a massacre”

Mai Alkaila, the minister of health for the Palestinian Authority, charged Israel with carrying out “a massacre” at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital. Hundreds of civilians were murdered in the attack, which took place during Israel’s brutal 11-day bombardment of Gaza. A civil defense chief in Gaza had reported 300 fatalities, while a representative of the health ministry reported 500 fatalities. According to Hamas, the blast primarily killed displaced people.

Israel blames Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization for airstrike on hospital

The Israeli military blamed the terrorist Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization after its operational system analysis revealed “an enemy rocket barrage” was passing the hospital at the time of the incident and was directed at Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “barbaric terrorists” in Gaza had attacked the Gaza hospital, not Israel’s military.

Islamic Jihad denied that any of its missiles were responsible for the hospital explosion and claimed that at the time it had no presence in or around Gaza City. Islamic Jihad, which is supported by Iran, participated in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that was spearheaded by Hamas and has launched countless rocket salvos into Israel.

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Joe Biden on visit to Israel

On the eve of U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden’s visit to Israel, news of the hospital strike and high death toll provoked outrage from several nations. Conflicts broke out in the West Bank after Russia and the United Arab Emirates demanded a U.N. Security Council meeting.

Israeli forces attacked one of the UN’s schools on Tuesday, according to the UN, where at least 4,000 people were seeking refuge. The agency reported that the strike left six persons dead and numerous others hurt. The Israeli military stated that it was investigating that claim.

Prior to the incident on Tuesday, health officials in Gaza reported that over the course of Israel’s 11-day bombing campaign since Hamas militants attacked Israeli cities on October 7 and murdered more than 1,300 troops and civilians, at least 3,000 Palestinians had been killed. As a result of the Israeli shelling, displaced Palestinians have resorted to hospitals in an effort to find safety there.