By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Israel says it did not carry out the Tuesday bombing in Gaza’s Ahli Arab Hospital that reportedly killed at least 200 people, saying Hamas did.
Palestinian Health Ministry blamed an Israeli airstrike, an allegation Israel denied, saying Palestinian rockets hit the hospital.
In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces claimed the hospital was hit in a “failed shooting” by Gaza-based militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, during an “enemy rocket barrage” targeted at Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu also claimed the airstrike was the result of a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hamas citing “intelligence from multiple sources.”
The Palestinian Health Ministry, meanwhile, alleges the hospital was hit by an Israeli airstrike, part of a dayslong bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry’s spokesperson had told the New York Times that the death toll from the strike is likely to increase.
Multiple outlets, citing the Health Ministry put the number of casualties from the strike at 500.
Hospitals have been functioning as a refugee camp for displaced Palestinians for the past week.
