War against Israel: Anger in the Middle East over explosion at Gaza clinic

A rocket hit a clinic in the Gaza Strip, presumably killing hundreds, overshadowed US President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel on Wednesday. The images of dead and injured people at the Al-Ahli Clinic caused great anger, especially in Arab and Islamic countries. There were anti-Israel demonstrations there and also in Germany.

The Hamas-controlled health authority immediately blamed Israel for this on Tuesday evening, and neighboring Arab states joined in. Israel firmly rejected this and spoke of the impact of a stray rocket from the militant Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad. According to its “current assessment,” the US government also does not consider Israel to be responsible.

At short notice, Jordan canceled Biden’s originally planned meeting in Amman with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Egypt’s head of state Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Abbas will not travel because of three days of national mourning after the explosion.

Israel: Palestinian militants’ rocket exploded in front of Gaza clinic

Israel’s army presented aerial photos and an intercepted conversation recording on Wednesday that were supposed to show that the explosion at the hospital was caused by Palestinian militants. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari told journalists that the destruction in the parking lot next to the clinic could be explained primarily by a very large amount of rocket fuel.

“The fuel caused a larger explosion than the warhead itself.” That’s why vehicles caught fire. There were many people in the parking lot at the time of the explosion. There was also no typical destruction of surrounding buildings or a crater like after an Israeli air strike, Hagari continued. An intercepted telephone conversation between two Hamas members also mentioned the malfunction of a Palestinian rocket.

Another Israeli army spokesman, Jonathan Conricus, had previously quoted Hamas members from the intercepted conversation as saying: “Oh, there was apparently a malfunction or an explosion of a rocket that landed in the Gaza Strip.” Islamic Jihad rejected the Israeli account.

According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza, 471 Palestinians were killed in the attack. The information could not initially be independently verified.

Biden: It seems to have been the other side

Biden said he was “very saddened” by the explosion at the hospital, which apparently did not originate from Israel. “From what I saw, it looks like it was done by the other team, not by you,” he said in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “But there are a lot of people out there who are not sure,” he added, pledging Israel’s support in the war with Hamas: “You are not alone.”

Terrorists from the Gaza Strip attacked Israel on October 7th, causing the worst massacre of civilians in the border area since the founding of the state in 1948. Since then, more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, around 4,000 injured and almost 200 kidnapped to the Gaza Strip. According to the federal government, a single-digit number of German citizens were among the dead.

Biden: Hamas does not represent all Palestinians

After days of Israeli air strikes on the densely populated Gaza Strip, the closure of the coastal strip and before a possible ground offensive, Biden also emphasized that “Hamas does not represent all Palestinians.” Civilians must be helped, said the US President. “The world is watching,” he also warned in view of the explosion at the hospital.

Israel has been attacking the coastal strip from the air for days in response to the Hamas attack. According to the Ministry of Health, 3,478 people have died and more than 12,000 have been injured in the Gaza Strip so far.

Israel “does not want to hinder” aid deliveries from Egypt

Shortly after meeting Biden, Netanyahu announced that his country would not hinder humanitarian aid deliveries from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. This concerns supplies such as food, water and medicine for the civilian population, his office said. “Any shipment that gets to Hamas will be prevented.” Nevertheless, Netanyahu made it clear that Israel “will not allow humanitarian aid from its territory into the Gaza Strip as long as our abductees are not returned.”

It was unclear whether it would or could be opened by Egypt. According to reports from on site, the crossing was damaged by Israeli fire and now needs to be repaired. According to Egyptian information, around 3,000 tons of goods are available there.

Scholz promises al-Sisi help in efforts to release hostages

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) promised Egypt’s head of state al-Sisi help in efforts to release the hostages kidnapped by the Islamist Hamas in Israel. “We are making every effort to achieve their release,” said Scholz in a joint press conference in Cairo. “These touching conversations that I can have with some of the relatives have once again confirmed this priority for me.” Scholz thanked al-Sisi for his efforts to de-escalate and mediate in the war between Hamas and Israel.

Demonstrations against Israel

After the explosion at the hospital, there were angry, sometimes violent demonstrations against Israel in numerous countries. There were also demonstrations in Germany and an attempted arson attack on a synagogue caused horror in Berlin.

In the Lebanese capital Beirut, thousands of supporters of the Shiite organization Hezbollah, which like Hamas is allied with Iran, protested against Israel on Wednesday. Protesters chanted “Death to Israel.” Demonstrators attempted to march to the US Embassy, ​​and security forces used tear gas and water cannons.

Another exchange of fire on Israel’s border with Lebanon

Fighting broke out again on Israel’s border with Lebanon. The Israeli army reported that tank shells were fired at Israel in several locations. Soldiers returned fire. Israeli mortar shell fire was reported from Lebanon. The army is attacking targets of the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, the Israeli statement said.