Hundreds Feared Dead in Gaza City Hospital Explosion, U.S. Intelligence Report Finds
An unclassified U.S. intelligence assessment delivered to Congress on Thursday estimates that the death toll from an explosion at a Gaza City hospital is on the low end of 100 to 300 deaths. This revelation has shocked the world, with U.S. intelligence officials describing the loss of life as staggering. The explosion occurred at Gaza’s al-Ahli hospital on Tuesday, leaving the hospital grounds littered with body parts. Crowds of Palestinians had gathered at the hospital in the hopes of escaping Israeli airstrikes.
Officials in Hamas-ruled Gaza swiftly pointed the finger at Israel, claiming that an Israeli airstrike was responsible for the tragedy. However, Israel denies any involvement, and the claims and evidence presented by both sides have not been independently verified by the Associated Press. President Joe Biden and other U.S. officials had previously stated that U.S. intelligence indicated the explosion was not caused by an Israeli airstrike, and the report delivered to Congress aligns with that assessment.
The U.S. assessment noted that only minimal damage to the hospital structure was visible, with no visible impact crater. Meanwhile, Israel continued its bombardment of the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Thursday, particularly targeting the southern region where Palestinians had been instructed to seek refuge. Israel’s defense minister has instructed ground troops to be prepared for a potential invasion, though the timing of such an action has not been specified.
In Gaza, overwhelmed hospitals are struggling to cope with dwindling medical supplies and fuel for generators. The authorities are working on logistics for an aid delivery from Egypt. In darkened wards, doctors are treating wounds by the light of mobile phones, and vinegar is being used to treat infected wounds.
The Israeli military has been retaliating relentlessly against Gaza following a destructive rampage by Hamas in southern Israel nearly two weeks ago. Even after instructing Palestinians to evacuate the northern areas of Gaza and move south, strikes have continued throughout the territory, intensifying fears among the 2.3 million people living there that nowhere is safe.
As tensions continue to escalate, Palestinian militants have fired rockets into Israel from Gaza and Lebanon. Unrest has also spread to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in an impassioned speech to Israeli infantry soldiers, urged them to be prepared for orders to move in. Israel has amassed tens of thousands of troops along the border in preparation.
This developing situation demands close attention from the international community, as the loss of life and destruction in Gaza City continues to mount. The conflicting claims regarding the cause of the hospital explosion further add to the complexity of the crisis. With civilian lives at stake, it is crucial that efforts be made to de-escalate the violence and find a path towards peace. The world watches anxiously as events unfold in Gaza.
