GAZA听–听A听骋补锄补听health ministry spokesman听蝉补颈诲听丑耻苍诲谤别诲蝉听were听办颈濒濒别诲听in a听产濒补蝉迟听at a听骋补锄补听City听丑辞蝉辫颈迟补濒听on Tuesday that Israeli and Palestinian officials blamed on each other and that ignited听辫谤辞迟别蝉迟蝉听in the West Bank and around the Middle East.
Health authorities in the Hamas-ruled听骋补锄补听Strip听蝉补颈诲聽an Israeli air strike caused the听产濒补蝉迟听while Israel’s military attributed it to a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group.
The health ministry spokesman, Ashraf Al-Qudra,听蝉补颈诲聽early on Wednesday that听丑耻苍诲谤别诲蝉听were听办颈濒濒别诲听and rescue workers were still removing bodies from the rubble. In the first hours after the听产濒补蝉迟, a听骋补锄补听civil defence chief听蝉补颈诲聽300 people were听办颈濒濒别诲, while health ministry sources put the figure at 500.
Reuters could not independently verify who was responsible for the听产濒补蝉迟听or how many people were听办颈濒濒别诲.
Before Tuesday’s听产濒补蝉迟, health authorities in听骋补锄补听蝉补颈诲聽at least 3,000 people had died in Israel’s 11-day bombardment that began after a Hamas Oct. 7 rampage on southern Israeli communities in which 1,300 people were听办颈濒濒别诲听and around 200 were taken into听骋补锄补听as hostages.
Gaza, a 45 km-long (25-mile) enclave home to 2.3 million people, has been ruled since 2006 by Hamas, an Islamist group that is a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization.
The听产濒补蝉迟听took place on the eve of a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to Israel to show support for the country in its war with Hamas and to hear how Israel plans to minimize civilian casualties. One U.S. aim is to keep the conflict from spreading.
Regardless of who is found responsible for the explosion, which Hamas听蝉补颈诲聽had听办颈濒濒别诲听patients and others left homeless by Israeli bombardment, it will complicate efforts to contain the crisis.
In one sign of this, Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, cancelled a summit his country was to host in Amman with Biden and the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders.
In another, Palestinian security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah who were throwing rocks and chanting against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as popular anger boiled.
The听产濒补蝉迟听drew condemnation across the Arab world, and听辫谤辞迟别蝉迟蝉听were staged at Israel’s embassies in Turkey and Jordan and near the U.S. embassy in Lebanon, where security forces fired tear gas toward demonstrators.
Television footage showed听辫谤辞迟别蝉迟蝉听in Yemen’s southwestern city of Taz, as well as in the Moroccan and Iraqi capitals.
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group denounced what it听蝉补颈诲聽was Israel’s deadly attack on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi听丑辞蝉辫颈迟补濒听in听骋补锄补, run by the Anglican church, and called for “a day of unprecedented anger” against Israel and Biden’s visit.
CLAIMS AND COUNTER CLAIMS
There were competing claims and denials from Israeli and Palestinian officials over who was responsible.
Abbas听蝉补颈诲聽that targeting the听丑辞蝉辫颈迟补濒听was a “hideous war massacre,” adding that “Israel has crossed all red lines.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Palestinian militants for the explosion.
“The entire world should know: It was barbaric terrorists in听骋补锄补听that attacked the听丑辞蝉辫颈迟补濒听in听骋补锄补, and not the IDF,” he听蝉补颈诲, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. “Those who brutally murdered our children also murder their own children.”
Briefing reporters early on Wednesday, Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari cast doubt on the Palestinian death count, asserted that there was no direct hit on the听丑辞蝉辫颈迟补濒, and听蝉补颈诲聽Israel had intelligence proving its claim that听骋补锄补听militants were responsible.
The IDF blamed Palestinian Islamic Jihad which, like Hamas, is viewed by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization.
“The IDF did not strike the听丑辞蝉辫颈迟补濒听in听骋补锄补,” Hagari听蝉补颈诲聽in a聽聽statement. “The听丑辞蝉辫颈迟补濒听was hit as a result of a failed rocket launched by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.”
Another IDF spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus, told CNN Israel had intercepted conversations among militants showing “they understand that it was a rocket that misfired.”
He听蝉补颈诲聽the Israeli government would share its intelligence with Biden and would make the intercepts public.
Speaking earlier, Daoud Shehab, a spokesman for Islamic Jihad, denied his group was responsible.
“This is a lie and fabrication, it is completely incorrect. The occupation is trying to cover for the horrifying crime and massacre they committed against civilians,” he told Reuters.
During the last Israeli-Hamas conflict in 2021, Israel听蝉补颈诲聽Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups fired about 4,360 rockets from听骋补锄补听辞蹿听.
Clashes with Palestinian security forces broke out in a number of other cities in the West Bank, which is ruled by Abbas’ Palestinian Authority, late on Tuesday, witnesses听蝉补颈诲.
After Hamas officials initially blamed Tuesday’s听丑辞蝉辫颈迟补濒听产濒补蝉迟听on an Israeli air strike, Arab countries, Iran and Turkey swiftly condemned it. – Reuters
