Israel, Palestinian terrorist groups trade charges over Gaza blast as fighting enters 12th day

Israel and Palestine based terrorist groups traded charges as hundreds of people were killed in a blast at the Al-Ahli Arabi Baptist Hospital in the Gaza. The airstrike, according to Gaza’s health ministry, was conducted by Israel, while the Israeli military blamed the Islamic Jihad group for the “failed shooting” that was directed at Israel. Israel provides ’evidence’ on Gaza hospital blast To back their claims, Israel released a series of videos of the explosion, one of which showed the hospital and its surroundings before and after being hit by the rocket. “A failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization hit the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza City. IAF footage from the area around the hospital before and after the failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization,” IDF said in a statement on social media platform X.

A failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization hit the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza City.

IAF footage from the area around the hospital before and after the failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization: pic.twitter.com/AvCAkQULAf

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 18, 2023

Arab nations blame Israel for Gaza hospital blast Egypt, Libya, Lebanon, Yemen, Jordan, and Turkey are among the Arab and regional nations that have denounced what they allege was a bombing by Israel. Following the explosion, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas cancelled his attendance at a four-way conference scheduled to take place in Jordan’s capital city of Amman on Wednesday and left for Ramallah. At the summit, he was scheduled to have meetings with King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, and Vice President Joe Biden of the United States. US backs Israel on Gaza blast US President Joe Biden on a solidarity visit to Israel Wednesday backed the ally’s account that Palestinian militants caused a devastating hospital strike in Gaza, adding Hamas had brought “only suffering.” “I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday. And based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden said as he opened a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. “But there’s a lot of people out there not sure so we have to overcome a lot of things,” Biden said. “We have to bear in mind that Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people and has brought them only suffering,” Biden said. Biden said he was encouraging Netanyahu to ensure “life-saving capacity to help the Palestinians who are innocent and caught in the middle of this”. In announcing Biden’s visit, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Israel had agreed to work with the United States on a plan to let aid into Gaza, which has been besieged and bombarded for 12 days and under an Israeli blockade for 17 years. Mounting casualties in Gaza Israel is threatening a ground invasion following the devastating October 7 assault by Hamas militants. The total number of fatalities in Gaza has reached at least 3,000 in the 11-day ongoing war, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The death toll in Israel remains at about 1,300, with most of them killed on Oct. 7 in the Hamas surprise attacks on southern communities. (With agency inputs)