IDF blames Islamic Jihad rocket launch failure
Israel’s Foreign Ministry: “There is no operation in the area”
Gaza hospital bombing… Criticism rains down on Israel
On the 17th (local time), while hundreds of people were killed in an airstrike on a hospital in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and criticism poured in against Israel, Israeli authorities denied responsibility, saying that the bombing was the work of Islamic Jihad, another terrorist group besides Hamas.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement by a spokesperson that day, “Analysis of the military’s operational system indicates that this rocket was launched by terrorists in the Gaza Strip and was passing near Al Ahli Hospital at the time of the explosion,” adding, “Based on information obtained through various channels. According to him, Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch that struck a Gaza hospital.”
In fact, the Times of Israel reported that surveillance camera videos showing this rocket being launched from inside the Gaza Strip are being uploaded on social networking services (SNS).
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs also denied the airstrike, releasing videos before and after the bombing, and emphasized that “the Israel Defense Forces did not conduct any operations in the area at the time of the explosion.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said in a statement that day, “The whole world needs to know. “It was barbaric terrorists who attacked the Gaza Strip hospital, not the Israel Defense Forces,” he said, adding, “They brutally murdered our children, and they are killing their own children as well.”
Despite Israel’s protest, criticism from the international community is pouring in on Israel in relation to this hospital bombing incident. Previously, the Palestinian Authority announced that there had been an Israeli airstrike on Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist Hospital located in the center of Gaza City.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry estimated in a statement that between 200 and 300 people were killed in the attack on the hospital building. A Gaza Civil Defense chief told Al Jazeera that more than 300 people had been killed, while a Gaza Health Ministry official said there were at least 500 casualties. Both organizations are affiliated with the Hamas-run government.
[워싱턴=뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.