As the twelfth day of the war in Israel begins, widespread protests have erupted worldwide. These protests follow accusations that Israel attacked a hospital in Gaza. However, forensic investigations have determined that it was actually a misfired rocket from Palestinian Islamic Jihad. President Biden is scheduled to arrive in Israel this Wednesday morning for meetings with PM Netanyahu and President Herzog. Meanwhile, tensions persist along the Israeli-Lebanese border, with both sides targeting specific objectives.
On Tuesday night, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported hundreds of casualties in an explosion at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Zeitoon neighborhood. There are conflicting reports regarding the number of casualties among Palestinians, with the Gaza Ministry of Health citing 500 and other sources in the Strip reporting 200 dead.
#BREAKING: The IDF releases a video from the IAF system showing the area around Al Ahli hospital, in Gaza City, before and after Palestinian Islamic Jihad's failed rocket launch hit the hospital. pic.twitter.com/lhW6pqXJqh
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) October 18, 2023
According to the Palestinians, the hospital was providing shelter to thousands of refugees whose homes had been destroyed in the war. Media outlets worldwide extensively covered the hospital explosion, particularly in light of the Biden administration's desire for Israel to permit humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
Hamas claims that the IDF attacked the hospital, but Israel contends that a failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad caused the explosion. Approximately two hours after the incident, the IDF spokesperson stated, "Based on our operational system analysis, an enemy rocket barrage was launched at Israel, passing near the hospital when it was hit. According to intelligence from multiple sources, the Islamic Jihad organization is responsible for the failed shot that struck the hospital." Prime Minister Netanyahu also addressed the issue, saying, "Those who brutally murdered our children are also killing their own."
Here I explain to @ErinBurnett on @cnni our investigation and some of the evidence we are going to share about why the explosion at the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket that misfired. And I caution all jornalists to take info from Hamas-controlled… pic.twitter.com/0hJ1ljI7TV
— Jonathan Conricus (@jconricus) October 18, 2023
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in the Israel-Gaza conflict and asserted that Hamas attacks should not justify collective punishment of Palestinians. In a speech delivered in Beijing, where he was joined by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the UN Secretary-General addressed the situation in the Middle East, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire to alleviate the ongoing human suffering.
Meanwhile, the terrorist organization Hezbollah claimed responsibility for firing an anti-tank missile overnight at the Lebanese border, targeting an Israeli tank. Around 4:00 am, the IDF spokesperson announced that the anti-tank missile had passed their forces in the Shatula area and crossed the border fence. They responded with artillery fire at the source of the attack. It was later reported that four IDF soldiers were injured.
🔥🚨BREAKING: Joe Biden is currently heading to Israel. pic.twitter.com/C4aLv5sB2q
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) October 18, 2023
Prior to US President Joe Biden's visit to Israel, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of IDF attacks in the Gaza Strip, going from hundreds a day to just a few dozen. Israel is concerned about heavy barrages during Biden's visit that could disrupt his stay, so they have decided not to launch a ground operation, at least until Biden departs from Israel.
