Israeli forces release images of a spot of light believed to be an Islamic Jihad rocket
According to Palestinian authorities, hundreds of people died in the attack on the hospital. Hamas said the bombing came from Israel. The Israeli government said the facility was hit by an Islamic Jihad rocket.
Aerial photos released by the military show the hospital grounds before and after the attack. According to Israel Defense, there are no visible signs of craters or significant damage to buildings in the area.
According to the military, attacks by Israeli forces often leave craters. As an example, the army cited an attack that left a crater 19 meters in diameter.
“Analysis of our aerial images confirms that there was no direct impact on the hospital itself. The only damaged area is outside the hospital, in the parking lot, where we can see signs of fire, with no craters and no structural damage to the surrounding buildings,” he said in a statement. .
Israel also released a recording of what appeared to be two Hamas operatives talking about the hospital explosion.
According to the military, members of the group confirm in the audio recording that the rocket looks like an Islamic Jihad artifact and that the shooting took place in a cemetery near the hospital.
The Israeli government also said it conducted a monitored investigation based on intelligence reports, operating systems and aerial photographs.
According to the military, Israeli radars at the time of the explosion at the facility identified rockets fired by terrorists in the Gaza Strip.
“Trajectory analysis confirms that the rockets were fired near the hospital,” Israel Defense said.
According to the military, 450 rockets fired from Gaza since the conflict began on October 7 have missed and landed in the region, leaving Palestinian civilians to “pay the price.”
1 of 2 Attack on a hospital in Gaza — Photo: Arte/g1 Attack on a hospital in Gaza — Photo: Arte/g1
What is Islamic Jihad?
The Hamasaffiliated Islamic Jihad was founded in Egypt in the 1980s by university students from Gaza. The USA, the European Union and Israel also consider them a terrorist group.
Over time, suicides and terrorist attacks were assumed and the existence of the Israeli state was not recognized. He joined Hamas in the October 7 attack.
The organization denied being responsible for the attack on the hospital.
The Palestinian Authority declares mourning
2 of 2 bodies of Palestinians killed in an explosion at Ahli Arab Hospital are gathered in a tent at Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Photo: Abed Khaled/AP Bodies of Palestinians killed in an explosion at Ahli Arab Hospital victims are gathered in a tent at Al Shifa Hospital Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Photo: Abed Khaled/AP
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared three days of mourning over the attack on the hospital. For the Palestinian Authority, the attack on the hospital was a massacre.
The Palestinian Authority is an opposition group to Hamas and has no political power in the Gaza Strip.
Abbas had plans to meet with US President Joe Biden this Wednesday (18). However, he canceled this meeting.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas
Israel declares war after Hamas attack; understand
▶️ How did the conflict begin? The confrontation began after the terrorist group Hamas fired hundreds of rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7.
- Armed men from the south of the country invaded Israeli territory by land, air and sea, on motorcycles and paragliders.
- There were reports that the invaders shot people in the streets and kidnapped dozens of Israelis (including women and children) and took them to Gaza as hostages.
▶️ What was Israel’s reaction? Faced with the Hamas offensive, the Israeli government began retaliatory measures.
- “We are at war and we will win,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said shortly after the attack. “Our enemy will pay a price he has never known.”
- Also on October 7, Israel launched bombing raids on the Gaza Strip.
▶️ What is and where is the Gaza Strip? It is the Palestinian territory located on a narrow piece of land on the western coast of Israel, on the border with Egypt.
- The city, which is characterized by poverty and overpopulation, has 2 million inhabitants who live in an area of 360 km².
- To get an idea of this size compared to Brazilian cities: the territory is slightly larger than that of the city of Fortaleza (312.4 km²) and smaller than that of Curitiba (434.8 km²).
- Gaza was captured by Israel in the SixDay War in 1967 and handed over to the Palestinians in 2005. Gaza is currently experiencing a blockade of goods and services imposed by its border neighbors.