OAN’s Brooke Mallory
12:07 PM – Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Wednesday’s tragic explosion at a Gaza hospital appears to have been committed by Islamic Jihad and Hamas terrorists, according to U.S. President Joe Biden. At the time, he was wrapping up an urgent Middle East peace mission that was cut short due to the incident.
Biden also expressed sympathy with Israel.
Protesters around the Middle East expressed anger at Israel, blaming them for the barrage of rockets that destroyed the Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital late on Tuesday, which we now know killed 471 people, not over 1,000 like some U.S.-based pro-Palestine activists are still falsely reporting.
Gaza officials have now confirmed the true number, according to left-leaning Reuters.
The ongoing conflict has also raised worries of a broader upheaval.
Although the catastrophic explosion was caused by botched rocket fire from Gaza’s Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, which is affiliated with Hamas in times of war, it was immediately attributed to Israel by Gaza residents and pro-Palestine activists.
However, both parties continued to deny any wrongdoing.
“Based on the information we have seen today, it [explosion] appears the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza,” Biden declared.
Similar to Biden, the White House National Security Council in Washington, D.C., stated that the U.S. assessment was based on examination of intercepts, aerial images, audio proof, and publicly available data.
In response to the hospital deaths, which were blamed on Israel, Arab leaders canceled a planned summit with Biden in Jordan. This was supposed to be the second part of his meticulously planned schedule of urgent contacts with allies to prevent a larger conflict in the Middle East.
“What sets us apart from the terrorists is we believe in the fundamental dignity of every human life,” Biden continued. If that was not respected, “then the terrorists win.”
In order to improve the situation of the residents living in the small, heavily populated coastal enclave, Biden was under tremendous pressure to obtain a definitive Israeli commitment to let supplies into Gaza via Egypt.
Following his visit, a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that Israel will allow supplies of food, water, and medical equipment to enter southern Gaza through Egypt. The office also reaffirmed that unless Hamas and Jihad members freed Israeli hostages, the region would not receive help from Israel.
According to an audio recording that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) published early on Wednesday morning, you can hear Islamic terrorists discussing the botched rocket misfire.
The video is titled “Islamic Jihad struck a hospital in Gaza—the IDF did not,” and it was uploaded on X (Twitter).
As the terrorists come to the realization of the botched operation, pay attention to what they say.
“Is it from us?” one operative is heard asking on the recording.
“It looks like it,” the cohort replies.
“But God bless, it couldn’t have found another place to explode?,” another one of them questioned.
The recording was made public as Israel and Hamas traded accusations over the assault on the Al Ahli Arab Hospital, which was overflowing with deceased and wounded Palestinians from the airstrikes.
U.S. and Israeli leaders pointed out that during the previous week and a half, some 450 more rockets fired from Gaza had missed Israel as well, so an accidental misfire situation was not abnormal.
However, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) audio post sparked much backlash on X (Twitter), with many users doubting the accuracy of the high-quality recording and wondering why the IDF could now monitor Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives.
Additionally, Islamic countries like Turkey and Jordan have expressed their solidarity with Gaza and Islamic Palestinians, wishing death on the United States, Israel, and even the U.K.
Jordan’s Interior Ministry was even forced to prohibit any form of pro-Palestine, anti-Israel protesting or demonstrations in the country, due to fears that residents would continue to endanger public property, upset the peace, or threaten border security.
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