Following a blast at a hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday, Hamas immediately claimed that an Israel Defense Forces strike was to blame — but the evidence does not support such claims from Hamas officials pretending to be impartial government ministers inside the Gaza Strip. In fact, the evidence disproves what Hamas — and many of its sympathizers in the media and politics — have said.
Instead of what Hamas rushed to claim, it appears the attempt to blame Israeli forces and further demonize Israel and its people is nothing more than scrambling to draw attention away from what Hamas stated was a mass-casualty event that was, in fact, the result of a misfired Hamas or another Iran-backed terrorist's rocket and, potentially simultaneously, an attempt to cover up the fact that Hamas was again using a hospital to house terrorist infrastructure and weapons stockpiles.
Here's some of the video circulating that shows the cause of the explosion:
#BREAKING: Local footage reported to have been the failed launch. https://t.co/XfeUeKaFGy pic.twitter.com/4lXYhcVdMY
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) October 17, 2023
In addition, Al Jazeera unwittingly broadcast live video of the terrorist rocket misfiring and blowing up the hospital in Gaza City.
An Al Jazeera broadcast documented the moment that the Islamic Jihad launched a rocket which misfired and hit a hospital in Gaza, killing hundreds. pic.twitter.com/O5Lx1BtOtJ
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) October 17, 2023
The blast occurred just minutes after a large barrage of Hamas rockets were fired toward Tel Aviv and Hamas reportedly announced that they were in the process of launching their "most robust weapons" at Haifa just before the hospital explosion — but no such weapon reached Haifa.
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One minute before a rocket blew up a hospital in Gaza, Hamas announced on Telegram that they were launching their most robust weapons in the arsenal at Haifa.
— Jordan Schachtel @ dossier.today (@JordanSchachtel) October 17, 2023
No rockets reached Haifa. High probability these hit the hospital and set off secondary explosions within building. pic.twitter.com/xxfmzYxjru
After an initial investigation on Tuesday, the IDF said they have evidence showing the hospital explosion was in fact caused by a botched Hamas rocket launch intended for Israeli civilians, potentially from the surveillance drones swarming the skies. What's more, IDF was not active in the area of the explosion at the time it occurred.
🔴BREAKING: Initial investigation by IDF shows explosion in hospital in Gaza was caused by a failed Hamas rocket launch
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) October 17, 2023
IDF: An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit.
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) October 17, 2023
Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic…
Even pro-Gaza outlets have reported that the hospital was struck by a misfired rocket which also set off more terrorist weapons stored in the hospital.
Reports continue to surface that a misifired rocket detonated a stockpile of munitions held on the hospital grounds. #Gaza
— Gaza Report - اخبار غزة (@gaza_report) October 17, 2023
Subsequent investigation by the IDF led them to the conclusion that the explosion was caused by a misfired rocket launched by Islamic Jihad, a frequent coordinating partner of Hamas:
Following an analysis by the IDF's operational systems, a barrage of rockets was launched toward Israel, which passed in the vicinity of the hospital, when it was hit.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 17, 2023
According to intelligence information from a number of sources we have, Islamic Jihad terrorist organization is… pic.twitter.com/QZsanPaFEc
It's no secret that terrorist rockets launched from the Gaza Strip — often cannibalized from street signposts, sewer pipes, and other tubes intended for other peaceful uses — often misfire and land inside the Gaza Strip.
Lots of talk in recent hours of a failed rocket launch striking the grounds of a hospital in Gaza. I think it's timely to remind viewers that rockets produced by terrorists aren't always effective. pic.twitter.com/7UxVZMqlDI
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) October 17, 2023
Also worth noting is the fact that Israel called for the evacuation of civilians from hospitals and other locations in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday — something Hamas worked to prevent by blocking evacuation routes and telling residents to stay put in order for the Iran-backed terrorists to maintain the presence of human shields.
As Fox News Channel's Trey Yingst pointed out, every claim from Hamas and subsequent reporting of those claims must be scrutinized and verified — but that hasn't stopped pro-Hamas media outlets from quickly parroting their anti-Israel narrative.
Also can’t independently confirm the number of dead/injured. Reports indicate hundreds killed. Trying to confirm details. This will take time.
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) October 17, 2023
If IDF assessment correct, every single news outlet should retract immediately and issue apologies. An attempted blood libel carried out by western media 10 days after the massacre. New standards needed ASAP from top executives across all outlets. This CANNOT continue.
— Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) October 17, 2023
The immediate amplification of Hamas' claims fed the fire of anti-Israel sentiment on full display in the United States since Hamas' massacre of Israeli civilians began last week — hateful sentiments that, even after being almost immediately disproven, will sadly continue to spread courtesy of shameless individuals such as Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).
Hamas just bombed their own hospital, full of Palestinians, after a rocket full of shrapnel and fired at Israel fell short (which happens 40 % of the time). Now you know what Israel goes through, where is your condemnation? https://t.co/NvNKC024b6
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) October 17, 2023
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Editor's Note: Additional confirmation has since been provided disproving Hamas' claims, including from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify which Iran-backed terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip was responsible for bombing a hospital there. Islamic Jihad launched the rocket, Hamas worked to cover up their partner's war crime.
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