It has been pointed out that the explosion at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the Gaza Strip was likely not caused by an Israeli airstrike but rather a Hamas accidental explosion on the ground.
On the 18th (local time), based on the opinions of military experts, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) of the United States published an analysis showing that Palestinian Hamas’s claim that “Israel bombed a civilian hospital” is close to false. He also pointed out that the announcement that 471 people died in the bombing was exaggerated.
Michael Knights, an expert on military and security issues at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said there were “no signs of an airstrike” and that the site of the explosion had no signs of a bomb or missile attack of the type typically used by Israel.
U.S. military intelligence relayed to officials that it had collected “high confidence” signal information indicating that the Al-Ahli blast was caused by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group. This is interpreted as evidence supporting the claim that Israel is not responsible for the hospital explosion.
White House National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Adrienne Watson also confirmed, “Our current assessment, based on analysis of aerial photos, wiretaps, and open source intelligence, is that Israel is not responsible for the Gaza hospital explosion.”
In fact, aerial photos and videos taken at the site of the explosion showed that the hospital building itself did not suffer significant damage. The explosion also occurred in the hospital’s parking lot, not the hospital building.
“Current evidence points to either Hamas or PIJ rockets hitting the area,” intelligence analyst Blake Spendley told the outlet. “Videos and photos showing the scene show around 50 deaths, rather than the 500 initially claimed by Hamas. “The number of deaths is estimated at 1,000,” he explained.
Israel analyzed footage from the scene and countered that the shallow crater that appeared in the parking lot of Al Ahly Hospital was evidence that the actual explosion was not an airstrike.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said in a press conference that “there was no Israeli attack on the al-Ahli hospital area,” and that “two unidentified Hamas operatives said rockets were fired by militants at a cemetery near the hospital.” “I collected conversations,” he said.
“The explosion occurred in the hospital parking lot, and the hospital building itself suffered no structural damage,” he said. “There was no deep crater at the explosion site that would suggest an airstrike, and we present photos of the burned-out parking lot.”
Director Hagari countered by saying, “There were casualties in the hospital due to Islamic Jihad,” adding, “Israel treats all incidents involving civilians very seriously, so we will show maximum transparency.”
Experts noted that this type of damage appears more consistent with unexploded rockets used by the Hamas group than with weapons used by the Israeli Air Force, such as Joint Direct Action Munition (JDAM) guided bombs.
Choi Jae-ho,
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.