At least 500 people have been killed in a bombing of a hospital in Gaza City, the Palestinian Health Ministry has claimed.
Palestinian officials have pointed the finger at Israel for the attack, but Jerusalem says the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group was responsible for the blast on the al Ahli al Arabi hospital – an accusation the Islamist militant group denies.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said the explosion was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket that was aimed at Israel.
Follow live: ‘Dangerous moment’ for Middle East as protests erupt
An IDF statement said: “Following an additional review and cross-examination of the operational and intelligence systems, it is clear that the IDF did not strike the hospital in Gaza.
“The hospital was hit as a result of a failed rocket launched by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation.
“The terrorist organisations within the Gaza Strip fire indiscriminately toward Israel.”
This content is proed by Twitter, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only.
Enable Cookies
Allow Cookies Once
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said “barbaric terrorists” in Gaza bombed the hospital, reiterating Israel’s military was not responsible.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared three days of mourning following the explosion and cancelled a planned meeting with US President Joe Biden.
During a meeting in Tel Aviv, Mr Biden told Mr Netanyahu that the blast at the hospital appeared to have been caused “by the other team”.
Some 350 casualties were rushed from the blast site to Gaza City’s main hospital, al Shifa, already overwhelmed with those injured from other strikes, said its director, Mohammed Abu Selmia.
Image:
The blast at the Ahli Arab Hospital. Pic: X
Image:
Pic: X
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible player
0:59
Injured gather in hospital after bombing
Hamas released a statement calling it a “crime of genocide” as it blamed it on Israel.
The militant group said: “The horrific massacre carried out by the Zionist occupation in the Gaza City’s al Ahli hospital which left hundreds of casualties, most of them displaced families, patients, children and women, is a crime of genocide that once again reveals the ugly face of this criminal enemy and its fascist and terrorist government.
“This also exposes the American and western support for this criminal occupation.”
It called for “immediate” intervention by the “international community and the Arab and Islamic countries”.
Image:
Al Ahli al Arabi hospital in Gaza City
Reaction from around the world was swift, with Turkey, Iran, Jordan, Qatar and the World Health Organisation condemning what they called an attack.
Protesters gathered in Ramallah and Hebron and former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal called on supporters to demonstrate outside Israeli embassies.
Footage showed demonstrators throwing projectiles at Palestinian security forces and smashing a sign saying “We Ramallah”.
Should the Palestinian claims be confirmed, the attack would be the deadliest Israeli air strike in the five wars fought since 2008.
Image:
Protests in Ramallah
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible player
2:06
Drone shots show graves in Gaza
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said the assault was “an appalling and devastating loss of innocent lives”.
He said: “The Ahli hospital is run by the Anglican church. I mourn with our brothers and sisters – please pray for them.”
The hospital, in northern Gaza, was previously hit by Israeli rocket fire on 14 October leaving four members of staff wounded, according to an earlier statement from the archbishop.
Image:
‘I mourn with our brothers and sisters’ – Archbishop Welby
He had said patients who were critically ill and injured at the hospital, along with those at other healthcare facilities in the north of the strip, “cannot be safely evacuated”.
Mr Welby has renewed his appeal “for civilians to be protected in this devastating war”.
Treasury minister Andrew Griffith told Sky News the attack on the hospital was “devastating” as he reiterated the UK’s call for civilian life to be protected.
“The UK has always been very clear that the protection of civilians is the most important thing,” he said.
“It’s important at this point, everybody is responsible and we don’t rush to any judgements – but it’s also important international law is upheld.”
The hospital’s cancer centre was among the parts of the hospital badly damaged in Saturday’s strike, according to the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, which also helps raise funds for the hospital.
Earlier, the UN agency for Palestine (UNWRA) reported at least six people were killed after one of its schools in the al-Maghazi refugee camp, in the centre of Gaza, was shelled. The school served as a shelter for some 4,000 displaced citizens since the war broke out, the agency added.
Israel’s military said more civilian deaths in the territory were “inevitable”, claiming that Hamas fighters were using Palestinians as cover.
More than one million Palestinians were warned to move south through Gaza at the weekend by the IDF, ahead of an expected ground invasion.
The war that began with a surprise attack on Israel by Hamas last weekend has left 3,000 Palestinians dead and at least 12,500 wounded, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Hundreds more Gazans are believed to be buried under the rubble.
More than 1,400 Israelis are dead, according to Israeli figures – including 260 at a music festival.
At least 199 others, including children, were captured by the armed group and taken into Gaza, Israel said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible player
3:55
Son beaten and taken hostage by Hamas
Meshaal demanded the release of 6,000 Palestinian men and women reportedly held in Israel’s jails in exchange for the captives in Gaza.
Though Hamas’s head of political and international relations, Dr Basem Naim, told Sky News he did “not know” how many hostages were still alive.
