Washington, D.C. – In a recent statement from the White House, the United States has declared that Israel is not responsible for the tragic bombing of Al Ahli Hospital in the Gaza Strip, an incident that claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians. The decision was reached following an extensive assessment based on multiple sources, including intelligence reports, missile activity data, overhead imagery, and open-source videos and images.
White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson released a statement saying, “The US government assesses that Israel was not responsible for an explosion that killed hundreds of civilians yesterday at the Al Ahli Hospital in the Gaza Strip. Our assessment is based on available reporting, including intelligence, missile activity, overhead imagery, and open-source video and images of the incident.”
The investigation into the incident, which occurred a day earlier, revealed that the explosion was likely caused by an errant rocket or missile launch carried out by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a militant group operating in the Gaza Strip. Citing intelligence reports, Watson stated that “the explosion appears to be the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza, and we are continuing to work to corroborate whether it was a failed PIJ rocket.”
The hospital bombing had prompted immediate and conflicting claims of responsibility, with many Arab leaders initially accusing Israel. Hamas officials in Gaza had swiftly pointed to an Israeli airstrike as the cause of the explosion, claiming that hundreds of civilians were killed. Israel, however, vehemently denied any involvement and provided evidence in the form of video, audio recordings, and other information to support their assertion that the blast resulted from a rocket misfire by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The Islamic Jihad group, in turn, rejected this claim.
President Biden, who was on a brief visit to Israel, attempted to strike a delicate balance between expressing U.S. support for Israel and addressing growing concerns among Arab allies. During his visit, he expressed concern for the suffering of Gaza’s civilians and stated that the hospital blast did not appear to be the fault of Israel. He urged Israelis not to let their outrage over the deadly Hamas attack consume them.
Despite these developments, rocket attacks from Palestinian militants on Israel resumed after a 12-hour lull, and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza persisted, including in areas that Israel had previously designated as “safe zones” for civilians.
The situation in the region remains complex, with both sides continuing to assert their positions while the world watches closely for any potential escalation of tensions. The U.S. assessment regarding the hospital bombing, while exonerating Israel, underscores the challenges of ascertaining responsibility in the midst of a volatile and conflict-ridden environment.