It's a massacre: Gaza hospital horror unveiled

Hamas is an albatross around Netanyahu's neck. A monster he helped create in naivety to undermine the dominant Palestinian Authority is now a multi-headed hydra which Israel wants to crush. But blood for blood only leads to more bloodletting. Hamas is a devil on the shoulder of every Palestinian and every Israeli strike is only fuelling the hate & fury of Palestinians on which the militant group thrives. 

A crowded hospital was obliterated in the blink of an eye in Gaza, in the deadliest strike in the 12-day-old war between Israel and Hamas. The toll is staggering, with at least 500 souls perishing in a single blow.

Hamas categorically labels this a war crime, squarely pointing fingers at the Israeli Air Force for raining devastation upon the hospital. Israel counters, insisting that it was an errant rocket launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group. The PIJ, for its part, denies these allegations.

The Al-Ahri Arabi Hospital, a place of healing, refuge, and hope, is now reduced to a pile of rubble. This single incident ranks as the deadliest in the ongoing West Asia conflict.

Also read: Israeli airstrike or 'misfired' Islamic Jihad rocket? What killed at least 500 at Gaza hospital?

While the world was previously aghast at the carnage inflicted by Hamas militants on Israeli soil, a new horror, one that curdles the blood, has emerged. Most of the images are too gruesome for television, and too distressing for publication, with lifeless bodies, blood-soaked scenes, and the macabre sight of human body parts scattered.

The immediate aftermath reveals a scene of devastation: ambulances racing to Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital, only 1.5 kilometres away from Al-Ahri Arabi Hospital. Reports indicate that among the casualties are women and children. Hamas asserts that the explosion primarily claimed the lives of displaced people. 

The Palestinian Authority’s health minister, Mai Alkaila, points an accusatory finger at Israel, condemning it for carrying out "a massacre" on the hapless victims.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on the other hand, lays blame on "barbaric terrorists" in Gaza, asserting that the hospital assault wasn't Israel's doing. Yet, hardly anyone is buying into the Israeli argument. The world is appalled at the horrors witnessed at the hospital. 

Also read: Palestinian envoy calls Netanyahu a 'liar', claims to have proof of Israel's involvement in hospital attack

Iran, known for its firm stance, bluntly holds the United States and other nations supporting Israel responsible for the hospital tragedy. The Saudi government joins the chorus, denouncing Israel for violating international laws and norms.

Russia and the United Arab Emirates call for a U.N. Security Council meeting. Meanwhile, the West Bank erupts in clashes as anger and sorrow reverberate through the region.

From Tripoli to Tehran there was a furious response across the Muslim world. Protestors in Jordan -- home to millions of Palestinian refugees tried to storm the Israeli embassy. In Lebanon, demonstrators clashed with security forces outside the US embassy. Stones were hurled and a building was set on fire. 

Watch: Police use tear gas as protestors express outrage in Jordan

Precision strike or rocket attack?

Experts point out a troubling puzzle in the midst of this tragedy. They argue that the rockets in the arsenal of the PIJ or Hamas, while destructive, can cause damage to buildings but typically can't bring them down. Israel, on the other hand, possesses formidable bombing capabilities and precision missiles.

This raises questions about the nature of the attack on the Al-Ahri Arabi Hospital. How did an errant rocket cause such catastrophic devastation, leaving the hospital in ruins?

In the midst of these accusations and counter-accusations, the Palestinian Ambassador said, “The Israeli spokesperson of the Army made a statement in which he said evacuate the hospitals...Their intention is to evacuate or hospitals will be hit and they are responsible for that crime and they cannot fabricate stories to deal with it.” Clearly, the finger-pointing continues and in the middle of a war independent verification of facts is extremely difficult.

For 11 days, Israel has launched withering strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza in retaliation for the killing of 1,400 Israelis who were shot, mutilated and burned on October 7 cross-border raids. 

Watch: Tear gas fired at protesters near US embassy in Lebanon

The horror of events at the Al-Ahri Arabi Hospital and the swift backlash threatened to derail Biden's high-stakes visit to West Asia. A four-way summit in Amman with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, Jordanian King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was cancelled. 

The suffering of the Gazans is immeasurable. The land that has witnessed so much death and destruction longs for respite. And now, with Joe Biden's visit hanging in the balance, the quest for a semblance of peace grows ever more elusive.

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