'Terrorists' attacked Gaza hospital, not IDF, says Netanyahu; Palestine reacts
What's the story
A day after Palestinian authorities accused Israeli airstrikes of killing 500 people in a Gaza hospital, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed "terrorists in Gaza" for the attack. "The entire world should know: It was barbaric terrorists in Gaza that attacked the hospital in Gaza and not the IDF. Those who brutally murdered our children also murder their own children," he wrote on X.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The airstrike reportedly resulted in the highest number of single-day deaths in Gaza in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. Following the incident, Israel and Hamas blamed each other for the attack. Notably, over one million people have fled Gaza, as per the United Nations (UN), while the World Health Organization (WHO) said that 115 healthcare facilities have been attacked in Gaza.
Twitter Post
Intelligence sources indicate PIJ behind attack on Gaza hospital: Netanyahu
An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 17, 2023
Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is…
Reactions
Palestinian envoy to UN slams Netanyahu's claim
The Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, countered Netanyahu's claims that Hamas was behind the attack, terming him a "liar." "He is a liar. His digital spokesperson tweeted that Israel did the hit thinking that there was a base for Hamas around this hospital, and then he deleted that tweet. Now they changed the story to try to blame the Palestinians," he said.
Details
Know about the attack
According to reports, around 500 people have been killed after an airstrike hit the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza. Palestinian leaders blamed Israel for the attack. However, Israel blamed it on a rocket misfired by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a Hamas ally. Meanwhile, several world leaders condemned the attack, including those from the United States, Canada, and Turkey, apart from the Arab League.
Joe Biden
Biden cancels Jordan visit
Following the strike, US President Joe Biden's meeting with Egypt, Jordan, and Palestine leaders was called off. He was a quick trip to Israel to show solidarity with the country in the aftermath of the terrorist attack by Hamas. However, Biden had to immediately call off his trip after the Palestinian authority canceled the summit.
United Nations
Hamas attacks do not justify 'collective punishment' of Palestinians: UN
On the other hand, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday that attacks by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas did not justify the "collective punishment" of the Palestinian people. The Hamas attacks on October 7 "cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people," Guterres said at a forum of China's Belt and Road Infrastructure (BRI) initiative in Beijing.