The US intelligence community has provided an estimate of the number of deaths in the strike at the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza.
The statement shows there were likely 100 to 300 people killed, significantly lower than the initial figure of nearly 500 deaths reported by health authorities in the Hamas-ruled enclave, as per NDTV.
US Supports Israel's Denial of Involvement in Gaza Hospital Strike
While Hamas claims Israel was behind the attack, the United States has taken a different stance. President Joe Biden and the Senate Intelligence Committee have voiced their support for Israel's denial of involvement, citing intelligence and analysis.
According to Gaza's Hamas-controlled Health Ministry, the hospital strike, which took place on October 17, left 471 people dead, sparking outrage across the Arab and Muslim world. Hamas immediately pointed fingers at Israel, alleging an Israeli air strike as the cause.
On the other hand, Israel asserted that the explosion was triggered by a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militant group. The United States has publicly supported Israel's stance in a significant development.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence sent an unclassified assessment to Capitol Hill, stating, "We judge that Israel was not responsible for an explosion that killed hundreds of civilians at the Al Ahli Hospital in the Gaza Strip." The assessment was based on available reporting, intelligence, missile activity, and open-source videos and images.
The US intelligence community also estimated that the number of casualties was lower than initially reported by Hamas, suggesting a lower figure in the range of dozens rather than hundreds, according to The Straits Times.
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Gaza Hospital Strike
The controversy over the incident stems from the conflicting narratives and the lack of clear evidence pointing definitively to the responsible party. Israel presented what it claimed was substantial evidence that a misfired rocket from PIJ caused the blast.
This evidence included audio clips of alleged Hamas terrorists confirming the rocket's origin, a video showing the rocket misfiring, and bird's eye images of the blast site that did not align with an Israeli airstrike.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari also shared images and satellite photos that suggested no structural damage to buildings surrounding the Al Ahli hospital, the absence of craters in the adjacent parking lot, and no debris consistent with an airstrike. Hagari contended that an Israeli missile would have caused more damage if it had struck the hospital.
However, it's still too early to determine what happened definitively, and an independent international inquiry with impeccable evidence might be the only way to arrive at a conclusive answer.
Jordan's foreign minister emphasized that many are skeptical of Israel's narrative in the Middle East, stressing the need for an impartial investigation.
The controversy over this tragic event underscores the complex and sensitive nature of conflicts in the Middle East.
It also highlights the importance of establishing clear and credible evidence to attribute responsibility in such incidents, as the consequences of such actions are far-reaching and deeply emotional for those involved.
The situation remains fluid, and the international community will be closely watching for any developments or further evidence that may shed light on the events that led to the tragic hospital explosion in Gaza. In the meantime, the debate over responsibility continues to be a contentious issue in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Mail Online reported.
