An Israeli strike killed more than 500 Palestinians at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, according to the Gazan Health Ministry at 2:10 EST on October 17. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, but Palestinian officials say the blast may have been the result of an Israeli air strike. The Israeli military,however, has stated it was the consequence of a failed rocket launch by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an accusation which the militant group rejected.
The Gaza Strip, or just Gaza, is a Palestinian exclave on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a narrow strip of land between Egypt and Israel which is roughly the size of Washington, D.C. After the creation of Israel in 1948, Egypt managed Gaza for nearly two decades. After Israel’s victory in the 1967 Six-Day war against its neighboring Arab countries, it gained control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Gaza is one of the most densely populated and impoverished strips of land in the world. It is home to nearly 2.3 million people and nearly half the population is under 18.
The hospital that Palestinian officials claim Israel massacred and destroyed in Gaza has a history dating back to 1904, making it older than the state of Israel itself. Notably, the hospital even had a Christian church inside.
The hospital’s destruction has triggered global outrage, leading to protests at Israeli embassies in numerous nations. The Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza served as both a medical facility for treating the numerous wounded and as a refuge for those instructed to evacuate the northern areas by Israel. Thousands of children, women, and the elderly sought sanctuary there, trusting that they would find protection.
However, the airstrike of contested origin shattered their hopes, resulting in a tragedy that’s now widely labeled a massacre. The hospital was engulfed in flames, the aftermath marked with the presence of maimed bodies, including many young children among the victims.
In a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister, U.S, President Joe Biden affirmed Israel’s claim that “the other team” was responsible for the hospital attack, according to the Associated Press. He also emphasized Israel’s right and duty to defend itself. Israel has since requested $10 billion in emergency aid from the U.S.
However, Biden now faces the awkward situation of hearing from the leaders of Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority that they lack confidence in his ability to bring an end to the violence. They assert that the ongoing conflict is in violation of international law.
Israel’s Defense Minister ordered a complete siege on Gaza Strip after an attack by Hamas on October 7 that resulted in over 1,200 deaths. Retaliation included blocking its power to obtain medical supplies, water, electricity, gas etc. According to international humanitarian laws attacking civilian populations, civilian properties, and medical personnel are considered war crimes. Additionally, involuntary displacement is a breach of human rights as multiple sources have accurately expressed that this is what Israel is attempting. Since the beginning of the siege on Gaza, approximately 3,000 people have been killed, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
