Escalation in the Middle East – Rocket strike at hospital in Gaza Strip – that is known – News


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On Tuesday evening, a rocket hit a Palestinian hospital. Both parties blame each other.

What happened? A rocket hit a hospital in the Gaza Strip and caused extensive damage. The number of victims is controversial: According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, 471 people were killed and 324 injured. According to intelligence information from the Israeli army, the number of deaths is significantly lower and the inflated number of victims is part of a disinformation campaign.

Legend:

The rocket strike in Gaza City raises questions and pushes the region into an even deeper crisis.

REUTERS / Mohammed Al Masri

It is undisputed that the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City has been severely overcrowded for days. Many people who had been injured in the Israeli bombings of the last few days had gone there. Numerous people who had become homeless also sought refuge outside the hospital.

Who fired the rocket? The question of guilt is unclear. Hamas says it was an Israeli rocket, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also says Israel crossed all red lines.

Switzerland, Germany and Great Britain are calling for an investigation


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The Swiss Foreign Ministry has condemned the rocket attack in the Gaza Strip. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Switzerland reminds us that hospitals and civilians must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. A thorough investigation is also required.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his concern about the devastating destruction. “I am horrified by the images we are receiving of the explosion in a hospital in Gaza,” he wrote on the X platform, formerly Twitter. “Innocent people were injured and killed. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims.” The Chancellor echoed the demand: “It is important that this incident is investigated very carefully.”

Great Britain wants to take part in an investigation. This was announced by British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. The destruction of the Al-Ahli clinic in Gaza was a devastating loss of life, the conservative politician wrote in the short message service X, formerly Twitter.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the explosion as a “senseless tragedy”. “There is no excuse for shelling a hospital full of civilians,” she said in the EU Parliament in Strasbourg. All facts must be determined and those responsible must be held accountable, said Deutsche.

According to Israeli information, however, a misdirected rocket from the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad triggered the explosion. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists in Tel Aviv that the destruction in a parking lot next to the clinic could be explained primarily by a very large amount of rocket propellant.

“The fuel caused a larger explosion than the warhead itself.” That’s why vehicles caught fire. There were many people in the parking lot at the time of the explosion.

There was no typical destruction of the surrounding buildings or a crater like in an Israeli airstrike, explained Hagari. “The parking lot was not hit by Luftwaffe ammunition.”

Is there a crater or not?


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The Investigative collective Bellingcat examined photos and videos on social media and came across footage of a possible crater. However, the collective also cites a military adviser who said the impact was not consistent with the Israeli Air Force’s standard ammunition.

Later, Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus also spoke of a crater, but denied that the explosion was caused by Israeli ammunition: the size of the crater does not indicate that.

According to NZZ research based on publicly available information, cars around ten meters from the crater and surrounding buildings remained largely undamaged. This indicates a low pressure wave and therefore a deeper explosive force. Israeli aerial bombs generally have greater explosive power.

What does the US say about the explosion? According to the US, based on the information available so far, Israel is not responsible for the explosion in the hospital. The basis of the assessment is the evaluation of aerial photographs, intercepted information and publicly available sources, explains National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson on the short message service X. The evaluations will continue.

How does the Islamic world react? The member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should impose sanctions against Israel, said Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. This includes the imposition of an oil embargo and the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador. Iran later called on the Islamic world to break off relations with Israel. Saudi Arabia said at an OIC meeting that the kingdom continues to strive to de-escalate the conflict. Diplomatic circles previously said that Saudi Arabia had stopped talks about a possible normalization of relations with Israel.

Protests in the Muslim world


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Spontaneous protests broke out in several predominantly Muslim countries following the rocket strike.

In the Jordanian capital Amman Demonstrators tried to get to the Israeli embassy, ​​as reported by the Jordanian news agency Petra. Jordanian security circles reportedly rejected reports that the building had been stormed. The demonstrators were removed from the area.

In front of the Israeli consulate in the Turkish metropolis Istanbul numerous demonstrators gathered. Some waved Palestinian flags and chanted: “Down with Israel!” a broadcast from the state news agency Anadolu showed. The police were there with a large contingent to protect the consulate in the Levent district.

In the southern suburbs of Beirut According to eyewitnesses, hundreds of Hezbollah supporters poured into the streets and demanded that Tel Aviv be bombed.

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