Israel-Gaza conflict: Hospital blast kills hundreds of Palestinians, global community outraged

Hundreds of Palestinians were killed after a blast at a Gaza City hospital on Tuesday, the bloodiest single incident in Gaza since Israel launched a bombing campaign in retaliation for an Oct. 7 Hamas assault on southern Israeli communities. Israeli and Palestinian officials have each denied responsibility for the attack on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in northern Gaza.

Palestinian United Nations (UN) Ambassador Riyad Mansour, standing with Arab UN envoys, said they were all outraged by a deadly strike on a Gaza hospital and blamed Israel. "We condemn this act in the strongest possible terms and we hold Israel responsible for this massacre, this crime, and those responsible for this crime should face justice," Mansour said.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari has said that “the Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch, which hit the hospital in Gaza.” On social media, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed “barbaric terrorists” for the blast, denying that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) had any involvement.

The strike against the hospital, which has patients, healthcare workers and internally displaced people, has been met with strong condemnation from the international community, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and leaders such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau