Click to see full-size image. Source: the Israeli Prime Minister office.
United States President Joe Biden has backed Israel’s claims that the October 17 deadly explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital was the result of a misfired rocket by Palestinian fighters.
Biden made the stance minutes after arriving in Israel on October 18 for an unprecedented wartime visit by a U.S. president.
“I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday,” said Biden, sitting alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a Tel Aviv hotel. “Based on what I’ve seen, it appears it was done by the other team, and not you.”
At the same time, Biden added that “there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure. So we’ve gotta overcome a lot of things.”
Palestinian health officials said that more than 500 civilians were killed in an Israeli strike that targeted the Christian-run al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza. Doctors, nurses, patients and entire families who were taking refuge at the hospital were among the dead. Hundreds others were wounded or went missing after the explosion.
But the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed it was not behind the blast, and that a misfired rocket launched by Palestinian fighters caused the explosion. Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials pointed at Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The faction denied these accusations, while the Hamas Movement, who governs Gaza, asserted that the hospital was hit by an Israeli strike, holding the U.S. responsible for the massacre due to its unconditional support for the IDF.
Gaza has been under Israel bombardment since October 7, when Hamas, Jihad and other Palestinian armed factions launched a surprise attack, launching hundreds of rockets and storming nearby bases and settlements. At least 1,400 Israelis were killed and more than 3,000 were wounded in the attack. Over 200 others were captured and taken back to the Strip.
So far, IDF strikes on Gaza have claimed the lives of some 3,200 people and wounded more than 11,000 others. Women and children make up more than half of the dead.
Despite its unproportional response, Israel continues to receive unconditional support from the U.S. The Pentagon delivered several shipments of munitions and other military equipment to the IDF and deployed two carrier strike groups with dozens of fighter jets to the Eastern Mediterranean to deter Israel’s enemies.
Biden’s new remarks show that U.S. support for Israel was not bent by the horrific massacre at al-Ahli Arab Hospital. This will lead to more escalation in the Middle East, especially against U.S. interests. There have already been reports of a drone attack on an air base hosting American troops in Iraq.
At the same time, the U.S. strong stance with Israel will likely encourage Netanyahu’s government and the IDF to go on with their plan to launch a ground invasion into Gaza. Such an attack could lead to more massacres and atrocities. Arab observers believe that the mass displacement of Palestinians into Egypt and reoccupation of the Strip are Israel’s main goals.
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