US takes sides with Israel arguing Jihad-misfired rockets attack hospital in Gaza

The United States blamed a Palestinian armed group on Tuesday's explosion at a hospital in Gaza City.

White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said on Wednesday (local time) that Washington assumes Israel is not responsible for the deadly blast that cost hundreds of civilians at Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City. It publicly supported Israel's argument that the Palestine Islamic Jihad misfired rockets to cause the blast. U.S. President Joe Biden stated on his visit to Israel that the blast was attributable to a Gaza-based terrorist group that misfired rockets.

Spokesperson Watson explained that Washington's conclusion is based on various intelligence sources, missile trajectory records, satellite thermal images, and pictures taken at the site. On Wednesday, A U.S. high-ranking official quoted by The New York Times as saying that rocket data collected by infrared sensors strongly convinced the U.S. government that Israeli troops were not involved in the recent rocket attack on the Gaza hospital.

However, since the explosion, Palestine and its neighboring Arab countries have maintained that Israel is the culprit behind the blast. Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour argued that Israeli troops committed a massacre, immediately calling for a ceasefire.

In a phone call that President Biden had on his way back onboard Air Force One with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt that shares borders with the Gaza Strip, the two nations agreed to send 20 trucks loaded with medicine, drinking water, and emergency food supplies to Gaza City through Egypt. Aid shipments will depart on Friday at the earliest. It is the first humanitarian aid to Gazan citizens since Israel blocked the area last Monday.


pep@donga.com