In the evening of October 17, 2023, an explosion occurred at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City.
Following Hamas’ claim that an Israeli airstrike had caused the blast, the IDF conducted a thorough investigation and determined that the explosion had been caused by an errant rocket fired towards Israel by the Islamic Jihad terror group.
According to the IDF, this errant rocket is one of approximately 450 Hamas and Islamic Jihad rockets that have misfired and landed in Gaza during this war.
The IDF’s determination of Islamic Jihad culpability rests on three factors: The timeline surrounding the explosion, internal Hamas communications following the explosion, and aerial footage of the impact site.
A Brief Timeline of the Explosion
According to the IDF, Islamic Jihad fired a barrage of rockets toward Israel from a Gaza City cemetery at 6:59 P.M. local time.
Seconds later, the explosion occurred at the hospital, which is located near the cemetery where the rocket fire originated from.
Local video sources (including one by Al Jazeera) corroborate the IDF’s account, showing the rocket fire, the errant rocket descending to earth, followed by the explosion.
The IDF investigation also determined that at the time of the explosion, there were no strikes by the Israeli air force, navy, or ground forces in the area of the hospital compound.
An Al Jazeera broadcast documented the moment that the Islamic Jihad launched a rocket which misfired and hit a hospital in Gaza, killing hundreds. pic.twitter.com/ypZTdJobzk
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) October 17, 2023
VIDEO PROOF: Israeli Channel 12 news anchor @LeviYonit presents footage from the station's cameras at the time of the Gaza hospital explosion definitively showing how a misfired Palestinian Islamic Jihad is responsible for the terrible incident. pic.twitter.com/Z0PdyVzMUd
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) October 18, 2023
The Hamas Audio
Following the explosion, the IDF intercepted communications between Hamas members, including the audio of a phone call that was declassified by IDF Intelligence and released to the public.
The discussion between two Hamas operatives references the firing of rockets from the nearby cemetery, the fact that the shrapnel from the explosion is typical of shrapnel from a Gaza-based rocket launch and not Israeli, and that Hamas had determined the explosion was caused by a locally-fired rocket, presumably by Islamic Jihad.
According to Israeli journalist Ron Ben-Yishai, the audio appears to be authentic as the two Hamas operatives are speaking with a heavy Gazan accent.
Islamic Jihad struck a Hospital in Gaza—the IDF did not.
Listen to the terrorists as they realize this themselves: pic.twitter.com/u7WyU8Rxwz
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 18, 2023
Footage of the Blast Site
Further evidence is provided by aerial footage of the site.
This reveals the explosion (which occurred in the hospital’s parking lot) did not carry any of the telltale signs of an Israeli strike, including cratering or structural damage to nearby buildings.
The only damage seen from this footage is rocket debris on the roofs of some buildings and signs of burning in the parking lot area.
A failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization hit the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza City:
Attached is a video from the IAF system that captured the area around the hospital before and after the failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization: pic.twitter.com/OXxKRcSbYF
— דובר צה״ל דניאל הגרי – Daniel Hagari (@IDFSpokesperson) October 18, 2023
The size of the explosion and subsequent fire are likely the result of the rocket still containing most of its fuel when it fell into the hospital compound.
The IDF’s assertion that the damage was largely contained to the parking lot area and was mostly caused by the resulting fire is corroborated by open intelligence sources using images emerging from the Gaza Strip.
An intelligence assessment by the US National Security Council also backs Israel’s claims regarding the source of the blast.
Daylight. The Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza still stands. Local footage shows all buildings intact. There are no rescue workers pulling bodies from rubble. There are no bodies. There is no rubble.
A tragedy happened. Innocents died. But it wasn't as reported yesterday. pic.twitter.com/5EEoLV4q5X
— Arieh Kovler (@ariehkovler) October 18, 2023
Update on the chapel at the Ahli Hospital in Gaza, the building lost several of its stained glass windows in the explosion, but otherwise appears to be intact. pic.twitter.com/LTnEqXe35V
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) October 18, 2023
For HonestReporting’s look at the botched coverage of the hospital blast, click here
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Photo Credits via IDF
