President Biden said Tuesday that he is “outraged and deeply saddened” by the deadly bombing of a Gaza City hospital, but declined to blame Islamic Jihad, a smaller, more radical Palestinian terrorist group that often works with Hamas.
Israel claims that an errant missile launched by Islamic Jihad from Gaza, aimed at the Jewish state, was the cause of the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab hospital on Tuesday, which Gaza’s Health Ministry said killed at least 500 Palestinians.
Biden, 80, does not accept Israel’s assessment of the bombing despite speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the incident.
“I am outraged and deeply saddened by the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza and the terrible loss of life it caused,” the president said in a statement.
“Immediately upon hearing this news, I spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and ordered my national security team to continue gathering information about exactly what happened,” Biden added.
“The United States stands unequivocally for the protection of civilian life during the conflict, and we mourn the patients, medical personnel, and other innocent people killed or injured in this tragedy.”
President Biden said Tuesday that he is “outraged and deeply saddened” by the deadly bombing of a Gaza City hospital, but refused to blame Islamic Jihad. Ting Shen/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Israel claims that an errant missile launched by the Islamic Jihad Exit from Gaza, aimed at the Jewish state, was the cause of the explosion at the Al Ahli Arab hospital on Tuesday.Telegram
Netanyahu, 73, claims that “barbaric terrorists from Gaza” are responsible for the tragedy and not the Israeli army.
“The whole world should know: it was barbaric terrorists from Gaza who attacked the Gaza hospital, and not the IDF,” Netanyahu tweeted. “Those who brutally murdered our children also murder their own children.”
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“Based on analysis of the IDF’s operational systems, an enemy rocket launch was carried out towards Israel, which passed through the vicinity of the hospital when it was hit,” an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said on Tuesday.
“According to intelligence information, from various sources we have, the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed shooting that affected the hospital.”
Biden does not accept Israel’s assessment of the bombing despite speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the incident. REUTERS Heartbreaking images from the hospital show the building engulfed in flames and many women and children injured.AP
The attack on Al-Ahli Arab Hospital marks the deadliest incident since war broke out between Hamas and Israel following the October 7 terrorist attack on Israeli soil by the Gaza-based jihadist group.
Heartbreaking images from the hospital show the building engulfed in flames and many women and children injured.
The blast came just hours before Biden was expected to visit Israel in a show of support.
Hamas called the bombing “a horrific massacre,” saying it was caused by an Israeli attack.
Russia and the United Arab Emirates called an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council following the explosion, which sparked protests in the West Bank, Egypt and Turkey.
Biden was scheduled to meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi during his trip to the Middle East, but will no longer do so.
The White House issued a statement Tuesday saying the meeting will be postponed after Abbas announced days of mourning and will be rescheduled.
“In consultation with King Abdullah II of Jordan and in light of the days of mourning announced by President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, President Biden will postpone his trip to Jordan and the planned meeting with these two leaders and President Sisi of Egypt .
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“The President sent his deepest condolences for the innocent lives lost in the hospital explosion in Gaza and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. “He looks forward to conferring in person with these leaders soon and has agreed to remain in regular and direct contact with each of them over the coming days,” the White House said.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday that Biden “will ask some tough questions” when he meets with Netanyahu in Israel, but did not specify whether any questions would be asked. related to the hospital attack.
“He will ask it as a friend, as a true friend of Israel,” Kirby said.
“When I talk about difficult questions I don’t mean threatening or in any way confrontational. Just tough questions that a good friend of Israel would ask about where they think they are going and what his plans are for the future,” he added.
On Israel’s claim that Tuesday’s explosion was not caused by an IDF missile, Krby said: “We certainly recognize that they feel strongly that this was not caused by them,” but declined to say whether so far in the conflict Israel has been operating under the rules of war.
“It would not be appropriate for us to react, again, to the initial reports, one way or another,” Kirby said, noting that Biden will continue to press Israel about the “absolute need to protect the lives of innocent civilians and respect the laws.” of war.”
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