Independently verified video has emerged from the Al-Ahli hospital bombing in Israel, which has become the subject of an international propaganda war between Hamas, Israel, and Western outlets that were quick to report that the responsibility was the IDF’s.
The hospital was engulfed in flames, and the grounds were littered with mutilated corpses, as shown by verified video footage. About 350 victims of the Al-Ahli detonation were transported to the primary hospital in Gaza City, al-Shifa, which was already overflowing with victims of airstrikes, according to the hospital’s director, Mohammed Abu Selmi.
However, the video raises questions about the Hamas narrative, since the hospital itself appears to be largely intact. The preponderance of the damage looks to be from the parking lot outside the hospital, according to the footage.
The Gaza Health Ministry, which is run be Hamas, initially claimed that an Israeli airstrike destroyed Al Ahli Arab Hospital and that at least 500 people were killed. The Israel Defense Forces stated that they would investigate before issuing a denial of involvement.
“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,” the statement said. “Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza.”
However, according to Israeli military spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, there were no air, ground, or naval attacks in the vicinity at the time of the explosion, which occurred shortly after 7 p.m. At the same time that radars detected incoming rocket fire, monitored communications between militant organizations indicated that Islamic Jihad launched the missiles.
The New York Times was quick to blame Israel.
Did the NY Times think we wouldn’t notice? pic.twitter.com/QcTeBsJ2ie
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 17, 2023
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) of the Pro-Palestinian “Squad” was quick to seize on unconfirmed reports to accuse Israel of potential “war crimes.”
Bombing a hospital is among the gravest of war crimes. The IDF reportedly blowing up one of the few places the injured and wounded can seek medical treatment and shelter during a war is horrific.@POTUS needs to push for an immediate ceasefire to end this slaughter. https://t.co/dPJ48dyDe8
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 17, 2023
Omar also called for an immediate ceasefire.
There were reports alleging to show a failed launch of a Hamas rocket, but that proved to actually be from older video that was shared in 2022, among other examples.
Old video shared with a claim that Hamas failed launch of rocket and misfired a hospital in Gaza.
The video was shared in 2022 too. pic.twitter.com/T7Ext2uJ4I— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) October 17, 2023
But Curtis Houch of the Media Research Center cited an IDF spokesperson who cautioned the world to exercise caution before taking Hamas’ word for it.
.@IDF‘s @JConricus to @NewsCentralCNN on Gaza hospital explosion: “[A]nything said by Hamas should be taken with extreme caution and skepticism, and I urge all journalists to be very careful when they report what Hamas says and when they base reporting on those events. What I can… pic.twitter.com/ObTBcFaWeo
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 17, 2023
“[A]nything said by Hamas should be taken with extreme caution and skepticism, and I urge all journalists to be very careful when they report what Hamas says and when they base reporting on those events. What I can say is that we have analyzed various sources of intelligence and systems and the information that we have, which has been confirmed by the highest levels in the IDF is the following: ‘We are aware of a barrage of rockets that was fired by terrorists from Gaza towards Israel and that passed in close proximity to that hospital in Gaza at the time that it was hit. The intelligence that we have from multiple sources is — it indicates that the Islamic Jihad, another terrorist organization in Gaza, is responsible for a failed rocket launch that struck the hospital in Gaza.”
A BBC journalist, however, said that it had to be Israel that committed the atrocity.
???? BBC journalist says the attack on The Al-Ahli National Baptist Hospital in Gaza HAD TO BE DONE by Israel.
— Censored Men (@CensoredMen) October 17, 2023
At a minimum, numerous legacy media outlets and U.S. politicians jumped to conclusions about the bombing before getting all the facts, and may have become accomplices to a Hamas disinformation campaign.
Hamas does Not have rockets that would inflict this much damage!
FACT
The rockets hamas fires can be puchased in the walmart parking lots & require a bottle or support to aim them!
STOP THE LIES!