Ahmed Zakot/Reuters
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday published evidence it claimed confirms it was not responsible for a catastrophic explosion at a hospital in Gaza that left hundreds of people dead.
On Tuesday night Hamas—which rules Gaza—blamed an Israeli airstrike for the disaster at the Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital, which Gazan health officials said killed 500 people. Now the IDF says it “can confirm” that the blast was actually caused by a failed rocket launch from inside the enclave.
IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a statement that Islamic Jihad, the second-biggest militant group in Gaza, “was responsible.” He said that at 6:59 p.m. local time, Islamic Jihad launched a barrage of 10 rockets from a cemetery. Reports of an explosion at the hospital also emerged at the same time, Hagari added.