Horrific Gaza Hospital Bombing Kills Hundreds, Hamas Blames Israel as IDF Blames Islamic Jihad

A tragic bombing of a Gaza hospital on Tuesday reportedly killed hundreds of Palestinians, as Hamas-linked officials and the Israeli Defense Forces each pointed the finger at the other side for the strike.

CNN’s Jake Tapper reported the news and said the IDF “just a few minutes ago said that it was actually a misfired missile by Islamic Jihad, a group in Gaza.”

“That is the reason why 200 at least were killed in a hospital strike in Gaza, in the hospital doctors and nurses were treating hundreds of already wounded Palestinians,” Tapper continued, adding:

CNN reports thousands of others were taking shelter at the hospital at the center of Gaza City. The Palestinian Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, blamed the incident on an Israeli airstrike. But the Israeli Defense Forces just seconds ago on its Telegram channel, announced that the strike was caused by this misfired missile from Islamic Jihad. CNN has not independently confirmed this.

Reuters reported that “the health minister in the Hamas-run government of Gaza, Mai Alkaila, accused Israel of a massacre. A Gaza civil defense chief said 300 people were killed and a health ministry official said 500 were killed.”

While the exact death toll at the hospital remains unclear as of the publishing of this article, the incident appears to be the single deadliest in Gaza so far in the war.

“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,” said the IDF statement, adding:

According to intelligence information from a number of sources we have, Islamic Jihad terrorist organization is responsible for the failed rocket launch that hit the hospital.

The initial information surrounding the bombing of the hospital was muddled by a bevy of misleading propaganda online.

“Surrounding the deadly blast at the Gaza hospital we are seeing fake videos and fake “IDF assessments” being published by various reporters and media outlets. When the IDF has an actual comment, you will know,” noted Emanuel Fabian of the Times of Israel ahead of the official IDF statement. Other video clips purporting to be the rocket fire and subsequent bombing were circulated online but eventually debunked.

The Wall Street Journal’s Yaroslav Trofimov shared a clip online of what the Israelis are claiming as evidence of rocket misfire. “New Israeli footage of what Israel says is the errant PIJ missile hitting the Gaza hospital,” Trofimov wrote.

Watch the full clip above via CNN.