Channel 4 Reporter Challenges ‘Confusing’ Gaza Blast Claims: ‘Israel Has Form When It Comes to War Propaganda’

Channel 4 News aired a detailed investigative report regarding the explosion at the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, while expressing the need for an independent enquiry after casting doubt on evidence made public by the Israeli government.

Chief correspondent Alex Thomson’s report, broadcast late Wednesday, delves deep into the claims made by the Israelis, who assert that a malfunctioning rocket by Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad was the cause of the explosion.

Thomson first addressed the Israeli explanation after Hamas blamed the IDF for the strike: “Sensing a major problem, they worked through the night to get their version out. Press conference first thing. Conclusion: a misfiring Islamic Jihad rocket caused it all.”

The journalist went on to explain that it was during the press conference that Israel released an audio recording purportedly capturing a conversation between two Hamas fighters, in which they supposedly stated that Israel was not behind the incident.

“Hamas call this an obvious fabrication,” Thomson said. “Two independent Arab journalists told us the same thing because of the language, accent, dialect, syntax and tone. None of which is, they say, credible.”

Thomson further scrutinised the claim regarding the launch point of the rocket, emphasising the alleged inconsistencies in the Israeli report.

“Equally Israel claims the Islamic Jihad failed missile was fired from a cemetery very close to the hospital,” he continues, showing a map of the area. “But look again at the video of the event. The trajectory of the missile doesn’t line up with that location: too high, too horizontal. Confusingly, the Israeli’s presentation also says the missile was fired from a location down in the southwest. It can’t be both.”

Regarding the physical evidence at the hospital, Thomson said, “What we observe at the scene are minor craters you’d expect from a to those from mortar shells or artillery fire, rather than from a missile.”

He elaborated: “Adjacent structures display minimal damage, and the windows of a neighbouring church are still intact. This may suggest that the probability of a ground-based Israeli missile attack is low. However, it doesn’t discount the use of an airburst weapon, which can lead to significant casualties with less infrastructural harm.”

In closing, Thomson said that Israel’s past media communications have not always been accurate and listed out its various denials and misrepresentations.

“Israel has form when it comes to war propaganda,” he said. “Its claims about not being responsible for shooting dead British filmmaker James Miller in Gaza, 20 years ago, were widely dismissed, not least by a British court.”

“Israel denied shooting dead Palestinian American photo-journalist Shireen Abu Akleh last year, only to backtrack later on, admitting they probably did kill her just two examples from a long track record. And as we’ve seen, Israel has already attacked this hospital and yesterday it’s accused of bombing a UN protected school, killing several civilians.”