US President Joe Biden accepted IDF evidence that Palestinian Islamic Jihad was responsible for the explosion at a Gaza hospital that likely killed hundreds late Tuesday night.
“I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion in Gaza yesterday,” Biden said, but explained that he understood that Israel had not attacked the hospital.
“Based on what I have seen it appears that it was done by the other team, not you,” the president said.
Global responses varied
Arab countries and many in the international community blamed Israel for the explosion.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was appalled by the attack but did not accuse either side.
“I am horrified by the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in a strike on a hospital in Gaza… which I strongly condemn,” he wrote in a post on X.
“My heart is with the families of the victims. Hospitals and medical personnel are protected under international humanitarian law.”
British Foreign Minister James Cleverly, who made a solidarity trip to Israel last week, said that, “the destruction of Al Ahli Hospital is a devastating loss of human life. The UK has been clear. The protection of civilian life must come first.
“The UK will work with our allies to find out what has happened and protect innocent civilians in Gaza,” Cleverly said. “I have travelled to Israel, I’ve engaged with G7 allies and regional partners, and will be visiting the region again later on today, because we recognize that this will require intensive efforts,” he said.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cautioned: “We should not rush to judgments before we have all the facts.”
He added, “Our intelligence services have been rapidly analyzing the evidence to independently establish the facts. We are not in a position at this point to say more than that.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who visited Israel on Tuesday and is now in Egypt said, “I am horrified by the images of the explosion in a hospital in Gaza. Innocent civilians were injured and killed. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims.
“We are working with Egypt to ensure humanitarian access to Gaza as quickly as possible. The people there need water, food and medicine.”
In Israel, he assured its citizens that Germany stood with them; in Egypt, he said, to the Palestinians that they, too, were not alone.
“The Federal Government is therefore continuing its humanitarian commitment to Gaza,” Scholtz said.
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