A misfired rocket launched by a Palestinian faction in Gaza was likely responsible for the al-Ahli hospital blast, according to a European military source interviewed by FRANCE 24. The death toll of the explosion, which Hamas attributed to an Israeli air strike, is likely to be lower than announced, the same source said.
Hamas and the Israeli government have been trading blame for the deadly explosion that rocked al-Ahli hospital in central Gaza on October 17. At least 471 people were killed, according to the Gazan Ministry of Health, while US intelligence sources put the death toll between 100 and 300. Hamas officials blamed the explosion on an Israeli air strike, with Israeli authorities in turn saying the blast was the result of a misfired rocket launched by Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad has denied responsibility.
