Tessa Quinn
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been an ongoing issue for decades, with both sides trading blame for various attacks. In 2023, a deadly blast at the crowded Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City killed hundreds of people. While Hamas-controlled Palestinian authorities in Gaza blamed Israel, claiming it was a deliberate airstrike, Israel denied involvement, instead asserting that it was a misfired Palestinian rocket. This incident sparked further rage in the region, with the truth becoming harder to ascertain amid conflicting narratives and information warfare. The bombing of Al-Ahli hospital is part of a broader pattern of Israeli airstrikes and ground invasions that have decimated Gaza's healthcare infrastructure, with the World Health Organization recording around 700 attacks on healthcare facilities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the incident | 17 October 2023 |
| Location | Al-Ahli hospital, Gaza City |
| Number of casualties | 471, according to the Palestinian health ministry; the IDF disputes this number |
| Cause of the explosion | Hamas-run Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike; the Israeli military says it was a misfired Palestinian rocket |
| Evidence | Uncorroborated footage shows a pattern of fires at the hospital site that was not consistent with an Israeli drone strike; images of the ground show scorch marks and burnt-out cars, but no significant damage to surrounding buildings |
| Reactions | The Palestinian group Hamas called Israel's targeting of the hospital "genocide"; Biden echoed Israel's view that the blast was caused by an errant rocket fired by a "terrorist group"; the Turkish Center for Combating Disinformation rebuffed Israeli claims |
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What You'll Learn
- Israel denies bombing Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, blaming Hamas
- Hamas refutes Israeli claims, saying Israel deliberately bombed the hospital
- Israeli army spokesperson says Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch
- Hospitals in Gaza have been framed as military targets and Hamas shields
- International condemnation of an Iranian missile attack on an Israeli hospital
Israel denies bombing Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City, blaming Hamas
On Tuesday, 17 October 2023, a blast at the crowded Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City killed hundreds of people. The Hamas-controlled Palestinian authorities in Gaza immediately blamed Israel, claiming it was a deliberate airstrike. Israel has denied these claims, saying that there was no blast damage to adjacent buildings and that the explosion was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip reported that at least 500 people were killed in the explosion, while the Israeli military stated that the number of casualties had been inflated. The BBC's Rushdi Abualouf reported from the scene of the hospital blast that "people are still collecting body parts". However, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have not released their own assessment of how many people died.
The IDF claimed that the absence of blast damage to adjacent buildings proves that the explosion was not caused by its weapons. However, the BBC's analysis of images of the ground after the blast showed scorch marks and burnt-out cars, but no significant damage to surrounding hospital buildings. The IDF has also released a recording of what it says is an intercepted conversation between two Hamas militants, acknowledging that the hospital was hit by a projectile fired by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). However, it is important to note that it is not possible to independently verify this recording, and PIJ has denied any involvement, blaming Israel for the blast.
Israel has conducted at least 686 attacks on health facilities in Gaza since the start of the war, damaging at least 33 of Gaza's 36 hospitals. According to the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, "Gaza has simply become uninhabitable". Israel alleges that hospitals are used for fighting and that ambulances are used to transport combat equipment and militants throughout the Gaza Strip. However, these claims have been debunked by journalists.
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Hamas refutes Israeli claims, saying Israel deliberately bombed the hospital
On 17 October 2023, an explosion at the crowded Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City killed hundreds of people. The Hamas-controlled Palestinian authorities in Gaza blamed Israel, claiming it was a deliberate airstrike. Israel denied the accusation, asserting that the explosion was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip refuted the Israeli claim, asserting that an Israeli airstrike caused the explosion, killing at least 500 people. They accused Israel of deliberately bombing ambulances and health facilities, violating international laws that prohibit such attacks and classifying them as war crimes.
Israel has conducted an aerial bombardment campaign on the Gaza Strip during the Gaza War, killing thousands of Palestinians, most of whom were civilians. The bombing also damaged or destroyed Palestinian civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, and refugee camps. By October 2024, Israel claimed to have bombed 40,000 locations in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas and Israel have traded blame for the explosion at Al-Ahli hospital, with Hamas accusing Israel of deliberately targeting the hospital and Israel denying involvement. The BBC investigated the incident, analysing video footage, images, and eyewitness accounts. Experts stated that the findings were inconclusive, with some suggesting that the explosion may have been caused by a misfired rocket rather than an Israeli airstrike.
The dispute between Hamas and Israel over the hospital bombing reflects a broader conflict between the two sides, with Israel alleging that Hamas misuses civilian infrastructure like hospitals and schools for military purposes. Israel has provided videos and interrogations of captured militants to support these claims. However, journalists and international organisations have scrutinised and debunked many of these allegations, accusing Israel of systematically targeting healthcare facilities and committing potential war crimes.
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Israeli army spokesperson says Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch
On 17 October 2023, an explosion at Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City killed hundreds of people. The Hamas-controlled Palestinian authorities in Gaza immediately blamed Israel, claiming it was a deliberate airstrike. However, Israel has denied responsibility and instead asserted that the explosion was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group.
According to the IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari, the Israeli army's assessment is based on "intelligence information from several sources." Hagari stated that "from the analysis of the IDF's operational systems, an enemy rocket barrage was launched towards Israel and passed in the vicinity of the hospital when it was hit." He added that "Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch that hit the hospital in Gaza." Israel released aerial photos to support its claim that there were no signs of Israeli planes striking the hospital.
In contrast, Hamas officials in Gaza blamed an Israeli airstrike for the explosion, claiming that nearly 500 people were killed. They accused Israel of ignoring the distinction between civilian and military targets during its military operation. Hamas also argued that their resistance missiles are homemade and lack the destructive power to cause such extensive casualties.
The United States government, through White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson, stated that its assessment based on "available reporting, including intelligence, missile activity, and open-source video and images of the incident," indicated that Israel was not responsible for the explosion. U.S. officials from the White House National Security Council and the Pentagon asserted that the explosion was likely caused by a misfired rocket or missile launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The dispute over responsibility for the hospital blast in Gaza highlights the complexity of the conflict and the challenges in verifying information. While Israel and Hamas trade blame, independent investigations and analyses by journalists and experts are crucial for uncovering the truth.
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Hospitals in Gaza have been framed as military targets and Hamas shields
Hospitals in Gaza have been at the centre of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, with Israel alleging that Hamas has been using these hospitals for military purposes. Israel has accused Hamas of conducting military operations inside hospitals, including attacks on soldiers, weapon storage, fighters taking shelter, providing support for underground tunnels, human shielding, and holding hostages. However, many of these claims have been refuted by journalists and media investigations.
Israel has stated that Hamas has strategically placed portions of its military tunnel system and command network beneath civilian infrastructure, including Gaza's Al-Shifa Hospital. During the 2023 Gaza War, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that Hamas had continued operating below Gaza's Shifa Hospital, using the patients, doctors, and staff to shield its underground headquarters. In response, Hamas and hospital administrators denied the existence of tunnels beneath the hospital and requested that an international delegation be sent to verify their claims.
The bombing of hospitals in Gaza by Israel has sparked accusations of war crimes, with health officials and medical organizations accusing Israel of deliberately targeting ambulances and health facilities in violation of international laws. By April 2024, 30 out of 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip had been bombed, according to Save the Children and UNICEF. These attacks have contributed to a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs declaring that Gaza had become "uninhabitable".
While Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals as shields for military operations, these allegations have been disputed and condemned by various sources. International rights scholars argue that Israel uses these allegations to cover up atrocities against Palestinian civilians and avoid sanctions for breaching international law. Amnesty International and multiple news agencies have stated that they have found no credible evidence to support Israel's claims of Hamas using hospitals for military purposes.
The Geneva conventions, which form the core of international humanitarian law, are particularly protective of civilian hospitals. It is forbidden to turn recognised civilian hospitals into conflict zones or to use civilian populations, the sick, or the injured as human shields, as these are considered war crimes. While Hamas has been accused of using human shields, human rights groups have emphasised that Israel must still abide by international law and the principle of proportionality in its military operations.
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International condemnation of an Iranian missile attack on an Israeli hospital
On June 19, 2025, an Iranian missile strike hit the Soroka hospital in southern Israel, wounding at least 240 people. The attack was part of a series of Iranian missile and drone strikes that killed at least 24 people in Israel. In response to the attack, the International Committee of the Red Cross emphasised that hospitals must be "respected and protected" under international law. The World Health Organization's director-general also issued a statement, calling on all parties to "protect health facilities, health personnel, and patients at all times."
The UK's Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer, condemned the Iranian strike, stating that "Hospitals must never be targeted. This is a dangerous moment for the entire region. The UK and our allies are clear that diplomacy is the only solution." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the attack, vowing that Israel would "exact the full price from the tyrants in Tehran."
The Iranian missile strike on the Soroka hospital occurred during a week of escalating tensions and violence between Israel and Iran. Israel had launched strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, killing several top generals and nuclear scientists. In retaliation, Iran fired hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel, although most were shot down by Israel's multitiered air defences. The conflict also extended to the Gaza Strip, with Israel conducting an aerial bombardment campaign that damaged or destroyed civilian infrastructure, including hospitals.
The Iranian attack on the Soroka hospital highlighted the fragile nature of the region and the need for diplomatic solutions to be pursued. The UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, emphasised the urgency of the situation, stating that there was a two-week window to "prevent a regional escalation that would benefit no one." The international community's condemnation of the Iranian strike on the Israeli hospital underscored the importance of protecting civilian infrastructure and prioritising diplomacy to resolve conflicts.
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Frequently asked questions
No. Israel has denied involvement in the Al-Ahli hospital blast in Gaza City that killed hundreds of people.
Israel has denied involvement in the Al-Ahli hospital blast. However, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip and the Turkish Center for Combating Disinformation claim that Israel did bomb the hospital.
Israel has been accused of bombing hospitals and health facilities in the Gaza Strip, damaging or destroying 30 out of 36 hospitals, according to Save the Children and UNICEF. Hospitals that have been bombed include the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the Nasser Medical Complex, and a medical convoy at al-Shifa hospital. The World Health Organisation has recorded around 700 attacks on healthcare facilities. Israel alleges that hospitals in the Gaza Strip are used for military activities and claims that these hospitals are therefore military targets. However, many of these claims have been debunked under scrutiny from journalists.
Yes, Iranian missiles struck Soroka hospital in Beersheba, Israel, in June 2025.
