IDF confirms Gaza hospital blast caused by Islamic Jihad rocket misfire

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the Israeli military did not strike the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip earlier Tuesday and that the facility was hit by a failed rocket launched by the Islamic Jihad terror organization.

The military says that 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.”

“I can confirm that following an analysis of the 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,” says Hagari in a short video sent by the IDF.

Intelligence points to Islamic Jihad “which is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza,” he says.

Hamas and most Arab nations have blamed Israel for the explosion, which the Hamas terror group said killed some 500 people. The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza later said between 200 and 300 had been killed.

The Israeli military says Gaza-based terror organizations fire rockets indiscriminately toward Israel and about 450 rockets launched toward Israel have fallen inside Gaza since the beginning of the war on October 7, “endangering and harming the lives of Gazan residents.”

Surveillance camera footage shows the moment the rocket launched from the Gaza Strip appears to fall short and explode inside the Palestinian enclave.

Surveillance camera footage from Netiv Haasara shows a large barrage of rockets being launched from northern Gaza, followed by a massive blast in the Strip, apparently caused by a failed projectile. pic.twitter.com/PdNCbks02r

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 17, 2023

Several other videos appear to show the same.

One video, taken from Netiv Haasara, appeared to match footage taken by Al Jazeera, which also showed a rocket misfire land inside Gaza.

Full recording from @ajmubasher feed.

You can see outgoing rocket fire some distance away. The rocket is intercepted in the air, and breaks apart into shrapnel.

After this 2 explosions are seen: one smaller one, perhaps on the rocket launcher, and a big one on the hospital. pic.twitter.com/upR4Dnrvsq

— Yousuf (@yousuf_tw) October 17, 2023

Another video, published by Palestinian media outlets, showed the blast at the Ahli Arab Hospital.

تغطية اخبارية| لحظة قصف الاحتلال لمستشفى المعمداني في غزة، ما أدى لاستشهاد المئات. pic.twitter.com/4IRmWIAvpd

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) October 17, 2023

The Al Jazeera footage was geolocated by experts on X to the hospital.

Geolocation thread on the hospital hit in Gaza.

Footage below.

Sorry in advance for the low quality geolocation proof. https://t.co/R5dIeOteWQ pic.twitter.com/pRt4VOaC6Y

— Benjamin Pittet (@COUPSURE) October 17, 2023