Missile missile likely
New information about explosion at Gaza clinic
November 27, 2023, 7:30 a.m
After a detonation at Al-Ahli Hospital with numerous fatalities, Hamas continues to allege that Israel is responsible. Now Human Rights Watch has concluded that a misfired rocket – presumably Palestinian – is to blame.
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) has evidence that a misfired rocket was the likely cause of the explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip on October 17th. “The explosion that killed and injured scores of civilians at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City on October 17, 2023, was apparently caused by a rocket-propelled munition commonly used by Palestinian armed groups,” HRW said.
The results of the explosion investigation were based on the analysis of photos and videos, satellite images and interviews with witnesses and experts. Further investigations are needed to determine who fired the suspected missile and whether the laws of war were violated.
The explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital sparked outrage across the Arab world. There were also massive protests in western countries. The Palestinians blamed an Israeli airstrike. Israel, however, said the explosion was caused by a misdirected Palestinian rocket fire.
Visible damage does not match Hamas’s casualty figures
The British government also concluded at the end of October that a Palestinian rocket caused the explosion. British intelligence had analyzed that the detonation was “likely caused by a rocket or part of one fired from the Gaza Strip against Israel,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.
The footage taken after the explosion speaks against Israeli shelling. Instead of one or more large craters, only a smaller impact hole was visible. An Israeli attack would have resulted in more serious damage. Hamas was also unable to produce any remains of Israeli ammunition.
There were also bitter disputes over the number of victims. Hundreds of people are believed to have died and been injured in the explosion, according to the Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza. HRW said it was unable to confirm these figures. However, they were significantly higher than other estimates and appeared disproportionate to the damage visible on site, it said.