Israel taking ‘zero tolerance’ approach to protests as conflict rages in Gaza
Galit Dan, whose 12-year-old daughter was kidnapped during Hamas’s assault, has revealed what the girl said in her final message.
Horrific new footage of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks has been released by the Israel Defense Forces.
It comes after US President Joe Biden visited Israel in a display of solidarity on Wednesday, amid ongoing fallout from an alleged attack on a Gaza hospital which the terror group claimed left up to 500 people dead.
Muslim nations and human rights groups have condemned the blast, which Israel and Hamas have blamed on each other. The casualty figure has been disputed by Israel and questioned by open-source intelligence experts.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has now arrived in Israel alongside Biden as efforts continue to de-escalate the conflict.
Read on for the latest news.
‘Mummy, I’m scared’: Girl’s heartwrenching last message
Galit Dan, whose 12-year-old daughter Noya was kidnapped during Hamas’s assault on October 7, has revealed what the girl said in her final, harrowing phone call.
Noya Dan’s family today confirmed that both she and her grandmother Carmella, who was also abducted, had been found dead.
“There was a big boom at the door that scared me,” Noya said in her last message.
“All the windows in grandma’s house were broken at the entrance.
“Because there was another boom, there are many broken windows.
“Mummy I’m scared. There are people in the house. Help me.”
Noya’s story captured the attention of author J.K. Rowling earlier this week, who shared a photo of the girl in a Harry Potter costume.
“Kidnapping children is despicable and wholly unjustifiable,” Rowling said.
“For obvious reasons, this picture has hit home with me. May Noya and all hostages taken by Hamas be returned soon, safely, to their families.”
Israel’s neighbours condemn ‘collective punishment’
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II condemned the “collective punishment” of Palestinians in Gaza as they met in Cairo for talks on the Israel-Hamas war.
Ahead of the meeting, the Jordanian royal court said Sisi and King Abdullah would “discuss means to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza”.
In separate statements issued later, the Egyptian presidency and the royal court said the two leaders “affirmed their unified position rejecting the policy of collective punishment in the siege, starvation or displacement” of Palestinians.
Israel has been carrying out air and artillery strikes on Gaza since Hamas gunmen unleashed a massive attack on communities in southern Israel on October 7 that Israeli officials say killed more than 1,400 people, mainly civilians.
The Hamas-controlled health ministry says the Israeli strikes have killed 3,478 people in the besieged Palestinian enclave, also mostly civilians.
A siege imposed by Israel has deprived the territory’s 2.4 million people of food, water, electricity and fuel as the United Nations warns of an increasingly dire humanitarian situation.
Sisi and King Abdullah warned of regional spillover.
“If the war does not stop”, it would threaten “to plunge the entire region into catastrophe”, according to the Jordanian statement.
The pair had been due to hold talks with US President Joe Biden and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Jordan this week, but Jordan cancelled the meeting after a deadly strike on a Gaza hospital.
Foreign nationals urged to flee Lebanon
The US and British embassies in Beirut on Thursday advised citizens to leave Lebanon while flights “remain available” as border tensions between Israel and Hezbollah intensify.
Both countries had already warned citizens against travel to Lebanon.
“We recommend that US citizens in Lebanon make appropriate arrangements to leave the country; commercial options currently remain available,” a US embassy statement said.
A similar warning was issued by the British embassy which said: “If you are currently in Lebanon, we encourage you to leave now while commercial options remain available.” “British nationals should exercise caution and avoid areas where demonstrations may be held,” it added.
Hezbollah and allied Palestinian factions have been trading daily cross-border fire with Israel after Hamas launched its massive October 7 assault on southern Israel, killing more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians.
Relentless Israeli strikes on Gaza have since killed at least 3,500 people, mostly civilians, according to health officials in the Hamas-run territory.
On Tuesday, the US State Department raised its travel advisory for Lebanon from level three to four - the highest level available.
It authorised non-essential embassy personnel and their families to leave their embassy citing the unpredictable security situation due to the Israel-Hamas war.
Many Arab and Western countries have already encouraged their nationals to avoid travel to Lebanon or leave, with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday urging its citizens to leave Lebanon “immediately” and Kuwait also warning against travelling there.
France, Germany, Canada and Australia have also warned against travel to Lebanon, while Spain has advised against non-essential travel.
UK PM meets with Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu has told UK Prime minister Rishi Sunak Israel was “in its darkest hour”, highlighting that there will be a “long war” ahead.
Netanyahu drew particular parallels to World War II, claiming “Hamas are the new Nazis”.
“80 years ago the world stood with you during your darkest hour,” he said at a press conference following his meeting with Sunak.
“This is our darkest hour - the world‘s darkest hour.
“This is why I value your support... We must win together.“That means that this is a long war and we‘ll need your continuous support.”
Sunak told Netanyahu that he’s “proud to stand here with you in Israel’s darkest hour, as your friend”.
“We will stand with you in solidarity, we will stand with your people. And we also want you to win.”
‘Not enough’: Biden’s aid plan criticised
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has criticised the US response to the crisis in Gaza, insisting President Joe Biden’s pledge of 20 aid trucks to Gaza is “not enough” to support the masses of civilians needing help.
“We’re talking about two million people who are in need of everything, so 20 trucks will be a drop in the ocean,” an IFRC spokesperson said.
“Obviously, we do welcome any aid entering the country, but we will have to have much more than that.”
Aid workers ‘have even run out of body bags’
A spokesperson for the Egyptian Food Bank has revealed aid workers have been stranded on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border for days awaiting permission to cross.
Approximately 120 trucks full of supplies are waiting at the gate with “seven or eight cargo planes loaded with supplies” expected to arrive from Turkey shortly.
“We‘re very angry because we know people over there have run out of water, they have even run out of body bags,” Mohsen Sarhan told BBC radio.
“We just want the killing to stop for us to be able to get in.”
Taylor Swift’s bodyguard returns to Israel to fight
The Israeli ministry of foreign affairs has confirmed a bodyguard who worked for Taylor Swift has returned home to “fight for his country”.
The ministry shared a photo of the soldier, known only as “Eran” with the pop star alongside a shot of him grinning in military attire.
“Hey Taylor Swift, we promise you’ll never find another like him,” the post read. “We love you Eran.”
Approximately 360,000 reservists have been called up to the IDF since the Hamas attacks earlier this month, with many being flown across the globe to return to service.
Taylor Swift’s #ErasTour body guard returned home to fight for his country.
— Israel ישר×ל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) October 19, 2023
Hey @taylorswift13, we promise you’ll never find another like him.
We love you Eran 🇮🇱â¤ï¸. pic.twitter.com/gDkorneQBG
Israeli police chief’s warning to protesters
Israel’s police chief Kobi Shabtai has warned there will be “zero tolerance for any instance of incitement and no authorisation for protests”.
“Whoever wants to become an Israeli citizen, welcome,” Shabtai said. “Anyone who wants to identify with Gaza is welcome. I will put them on the buses heading there now.”
Shabtai insisted the hardline stance was because the nation is current “in a state of war”.
“We’re not in a situation where we will allow all sorts of people to come and test us,” he said.
An Israel Police spokesman Eli Levy told Army Radio that 63 people in Israel have been arrested on suspicion of supporting or inciting “terror” since the latest conflict broke out.
China in talks with Egypt
Chinese President Xi Jinping told Egypt’s prime minister on Thursday that their countries should work together to bring “more stability” to the Middle East.
Xi met Egypt’s Mostafa Madbouli in Beijing on Thursday, repeating China’s support for a “two-state solution... to realise the peaceful coexistence of Palestine and Israel”, according to multiple state media outlets.
“China is willing to enhance cooperation with Egypt... and inject more certainty and stability into the region and the world,” Xi was reported as saying.
Israel continues relentless bombing overnight
Israel intensified its bombing over different parts of the Gaza Strip overnight, with the southern region of Rafah being the most heavily targeted.
Dozens more Palestinians have been killed, with 11 residential buildings being reduced to rubble in Khan Younis,
Shortly before sunrise five more residential towers were destroyed in al-Zahra in the centre of Gaza.
It came as Russia announced it was sending 27 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the region under siege. The US has pledged 20 trucks of aid to Gaza.
🛫 Russia's EMERCOM to deliver 27 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip, mainly food supplies: flour, sugar, rice and pasta.
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) October 19, 2023
The Il-76 transport aircraft is already en route to Arish in Egypt. The Egyptian Red Crescent will ensure the delivery of the aid. pic.twitter.com/Jy4SdiPWu6
US official resigns over Israel support
A US State Department official has resigned over concerns about the Biden administration‘s handling of the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Josh Paul was the director of congressional and public affairs at the State Department‘s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which is responsible for arms transfers.
His departure marks a rare instance of internal dissent over US support for Israel.
He criticised the administration‘s response to the conflict as “an impulsive reaction”, claiming it was a sign of ”intellectual bankruptcy”.
“Let‘s absolutely note the horror of what Hamas did, and the scale of it. And therefore I fear the scale of the potential Israeli response or ongoing Israeli response,” Paul said in an interview published by the Washington Post.
“I recognise the Israeli government’s right to respond and to defend themselves. I guess I question how many Palestinian children have to die in that process.”
“There’s no questioning on this one. There’s no space for substantive dissent within the system on this one. And that’s what led me to my decision.”
Paul had worked in his role for more than 11 years, but said he could not continue in a job that he believed was contributing to the deaths of Palestinian civilians.
“In my 11 years I have made more moral compromises than I can recall, each heavily, but each with my promise to myself in mind, and intact,” he continued.
“I am leaving today because I believe that in our current course with regards to the continued – indeed, expanded and expedited – provision of lethal arms to Israel – I have reached the end of that bargain.”
The State Department did not comment on Paul‘s resignation, citing its policy on discussing personnel matters.
‘Learn to shoot straight’, Biden tells Hamas
Joe Biden told reporters on Wednesday that Palestinian terrorists have “gotta learn how to shoot straight” — one day after an explosion outside a hospital in the Gaza Strip.
“I’m not suggesting that Hamas deliberately did it,” the US President said at Ramstein Air Base in Germany en route back to Washington after visiting Israel earlier in the day.
“It’s that old thing — gotta learn how to shoot straight,” Mr Biden went on. “It’s not the first time that Hamas has launched something that didn’t function very well.”
Hamas, which rules Gaza, claimed on Tuesday that an Israeli air strike killed about 500 people at the hospital — sparking riots across the Middle East and forcing Mr Biden to scrap a planned summit with Arab leaders in Amman, Jordan — but the White House said Wednesday it had determined the explosion was caused by a misfire on the Palestinian side.
The Israeli government on Tuesday night blamed the Hamas-allied group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, publishing intercepted phone calls and other evidence to support the claim.
“I don’t know all the detail, but I do know the people at the Defense Department who I respect and the intelligence community that I respect, say it is highly improbable that Israel did that,” Mr Biden said on Air Force One.
‘Real credit’: Biden praises Egypt
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has agreed to open the Rafah crossing into Gaza to allow a first batch of around 20 humanitarian aid trucks through, US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday.
“He agreed to … let up to 20 trucks through to begin with,” Mr Biden told reporters after calling Mr Sisi from Air Force One while returning from a visit to Israel.
The shipment would likely not cross until Friday, as the road at the crossing needed repairs, Mr Biden said.
“They’re going to patch the road. They have to fill in potholes to get these trucks through. And that’s going to occur — they expect it’ll take about eight hours tomorrow,” he said.
The first 20 trucks will be a test of a system for distributing aid without allowing the Palestinian militant organisation Hamas, which controls Gaza, to benefit, the US President said.
The United Nations is set to distribute aid on the Gaza side of the border. “If Hamas confiscates it or doesn’t let it get through or just confiscates it, then it’s going to end, because we’re not going to be sending any humanitarian aid to Hamas if they’re going to be confiscating it. That’s the commitment that I’ve made,” Mr Biden said.
He added that the 20 trucks represented a “first tranche”, but “150 or something” trucks are waiting in total. Whether the rest are allowed to cross will depend on “how it goes”. Mr Biden had been due to meet Mr Sisi on Wednesday at a four-way summit in Jordan, but it was cancelled after a deadly strike on a Gaza hospital that caused anger across the Arab world.
He said he had instead talked to Sisi from Air Force One for about half an hour. “The bottom line is that he deserves some real credit because he was very accommodating,” the US President added.
Mr Biden characterised his trip to the war zone as a success and said that while expressing US support for ally Israel, he was “very blunt with the Israelis” on the need to allow aid into Gaza.
“If you have an opportunity to alleviate the pain, you should do it. Period. And if you don’t, you’re going to lose credibility worldwide. And I think everyone understands that,” he said.
Asked by journalists about reports that his administration had told Israel that US forces would fight alongside Israeli troops in response to any attack by the powerful Lebanese movement Hezbollah against Israel, Mr Biden said this was “not true”.
However, he said that “our military is talking with their military about what the alternatives are” in the event of a Hezbollah attack.
Bodies of dad, wheelchair-bound daughter found
The bodies of an Israeli father and his 16-year-old disabled daughter were finally found 12 days after they were slaughtered by Hamas terrorists who attacked a music festival, Israel has confirmed.
Erick Peretz and his daughter Ruth — who was wheelchair-bound with cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy — were located by volunteers on Wednesday at the site of the Supernova Sukkot Gathering near the Re’im Kibbutz, where at least 260 Israelis were massacred, according to officials and local reports.
They were “brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists”, Israel wrote on its official X account.
“[My father] was really happy, and everything was fine,” his older daughter Yaarit Peretz, 26, told Israeli outlet Ynet on Monday.
“For years he goes to these parties and takes Ruth, because it makes her really good and she loves it. There were times when he would take her and she didn’t want to come back.”
She was particularly concerned about the survival of her sister Ruth, who needed to be fed through her stomach and other medical care. She is also mostly non-verbal, only able to say a few words, she said.
“I find it hard to believe that she will survive in Gaza,” Ms Peretz ominously said at the time.
For days, the Peretz family helplessly wondered whether the pair were killed or had been kidnapped. Ms Peretz said she’d heard reports that her father was seen running away with Ruth in his arms but was unable to confirm any information and still had not heard from them.
“It’s crazy that so much time has passed and there are still no answers,” she said before finally learning their fate on Wednesday.
Posters of kidnapped Israelis in Sydney
Posters of Israelis being held hostage by Hamas have been spotted in Bondi, Sydney.
The posters, the brainchild of Israeli artists in New York, have been placed in cities around the world.
“On October 7th, 2023 nearly 200 innocent civilians were abducted from Israel into the Gaza Strip,” the text reads.
“Their whereabouts remain unknown. More than 3000 women, men, and children ranging in age from three months to 85 years old, were wounded, murdered, beaten, raped, and brutally separated from loved ones by Hamas.”
Numerous videos on social media have shown pro-Palestinian supporters tearing down the posters.
The Herald Sun reported on Wednesday posters had been ripped down in the Melbourne CBD.
Last week a group of women in London were seen tearing down the posters as one declared “this is for Palestine”.
The X account Stop Antisemitism has documented several other similar incidents in the US, involving university students in New York and Pennsylvania and even a dentist in Miami.
HORRIFYING- NYU students walking around campus removing posters featuring missing Israelis being held in Gaza by Hamas terrorists.
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) October 17, 2023
The lack of humanity by your students is not only heartbreaking but extremely concerning @nyuniversity@NYUCampusSafetypic.twitter.com/BmTs1OzGF2
Egypt announces ‘sustainable’ aid corridor
Egypt announced Thursday the ‘sustainable’ passage of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, as hundreds of aid trucks wait at the gates of the enclave being bombarded by Israel.
“Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and American President Joe Biden have agreed on the sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah terminal,” said presidential spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy in a statement, without specifying a date.
Horrific new footage of Hamas rampage
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has published a new compilation video showing extremely graphic footage from the Hamas massacres in southern Israel on October 7.
The footage “from the eyes of Hamas”, which is too graphic for news.com.au to publish, was recovered from car dashcams, security cameras and cameras worn by the terrorists during the bloody rampage which left more than 1400 people dead.
Initial footage shows Hamas terrorists entering Israeli communities, shooting civilians in their cars and on the street as they try to flee and looting corpses.
Another dashcam clip shows Hamas members throwing a grenade into a bomb shelter and shooting a man as he tries to run away.
In footage recovered from Hamas GoPros and phones, the terrorists are seen invading the towns of Be’eri, Kfar Aza, Sufim and Re’em, going door-to-door and entering homes.
In one clip terrorists are seen carrying a body into a car before stealing the man’s baseball cap.
The horrific aftermath of the massacres is then shown from the eyes of first responders. “We see homes, including children’s bedrooms, covered in blood; endless rubble; people burned alive in their cars; and a dog shot and disfigured,” the IDF wrote.
WATCH: Pres. Biden unexpectedly addresses reporters aboard Air Force One pic.twitter.com/CxeiNEcDR3
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 18, 2023
Biden speaks on Air Force One
US President Joe Biden has spoken to reporters on board Air Force One following his visit to Israel.
“Virtually every mass shooting, every circumstance where large number of people have been victimised, lost, I spoke with them,” said Mr Biden, accompanied by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“As I learned a long time ago what you all learned in your life as well … when someone’s going through something that is beyond their comprehension … if they see someone who they think understands or maybe [has] been through something not the same but similar, it gives them some sense of hope.
“I always get criticised sometimes by my staff because I go to these events I stay for three or four hours to answer all their questions. But it matters, it matters a lot. And look, some of you have gone through a hell of a lot more than I’ve gone through, and a lot more than other people have gone through, and you understand.
“So it’s just … people are looking for just something to grab, something that gives them some sense of hope. And if I can do a little bit of that then it’s, you know, it’s worth doing.”
Australian unions blame Israel for war
Leading members from a lengthy list of Australian unions representing teachers, nurses, construction and maritime workers, public servants and journalists have signed an open letter “in solidarity with Palestine” amid the ongoing conflict.
The document, first reported by 2GB’s Ben Fordham, contains signatures from union members representing the likes of the Maritime Union of Australia, National Tertiary Education Union, NSW Teachers Federation, NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association, Australian Services Union, Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, and many others.
“In accordance with the union movement’s values of peace, justice and solidarity with working people, we are horrified by the current war between Israel and Hamas and the unspeakable bloodshed and violence it has caused,” it reads.
“This tragedy is a direct result of Israel’s blockade and siege of Gaza, and of the apartheid and ethnic cleansing it maintains in the West Bank and within its own borders … In the first instance, we call for an immediate suspension of all hostilities and an immediate end to the blockade of Gaza.”
Fordham said on his program, “Interestingly, the union members chose not to condemn the horrific terror attack by Hamas. There was no show of strength when hundreds of Jews were slaughtered by a terror organisation. Instead they’ve waited until now to take a stance. And it comes at a time when Hamas is holding babies as hostages.”
Sunak to visit Israel on Thursday
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will travel to Israel on Thursday before heading to other countries in the region in an effort to de-escalate the Israel-Gaza conflict, his office has said.
“The attack on al-Ahli Hospital should be a watershed moment for leaders in the region and across the world to come together to avoid further dangerous escalation of conflict,” Mr Sunak said in a statement.
“I will ensure the UK is at the forefront of this effort.”
Mr Sunak will stress the international community must “not let Hamas’ barbaric terrorism and disregard for human life become a catalyst for further escalation of conflict in the region”, the statement said.
Expected in Israel early on Thursday morning, Sunak is due to meet his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
He is also expected to insist that humanitarian aid, which London recently announced would be increased for the Palestinians, be allowed to arrive at a time when Israel has authorised the entry of aid into Gaza from Egypt, and that Britons stranded in Gaza be allowed to leave.
Alongside the British PM’s trip, his Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is due to visit Egypt, Turkey and Qatar “in the coming days”, according to Downing Street.
London has pledged its support for Israel following the bloody attacks by Hamas, which killed more than 1400 people, and has announced that the UK’s humanitarian aid to the Palestinians will be increased by a third — an extra £10 million ($19 million).
‘Is it from us?’: IDF releases ‘terrorists’ audio
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released an audio recording on Wednesday of what it claims are two Islamic Jihad terrorists admitting responsibility for the Gaza hospital blast.
The clip, posted on X, is captioned “Islamic Jihad struck a Hospital in Gaza — the IDF did not. Listen to the terrorists as they realise this themselves.”
“Is it from us?” one operative is heard asking on the recording, according to the IDF’s translation.
“It looks like it,” his cohort replies.
The purported members of Islamic Jihad — an arm of the ruling militant group Hamas — are then heard acknowledging that the shrapnel of the missile “are local pieces, and not Israeli shrapnel”, from rockets fired from the “cemetery behind the hospital.”
“But God bless, it couldn’t have found another place to explode?” one of them asked.
The IDF’s audio post was met with widespread scepticism on X, as many users questioned the veracity of the high-quality recording and wondered why the military was now able to surveil Hamas operatives but was caught off guard by the group’s heinous and long-planned October 7 surprise attack across the disputed border that killed more than 1400.
‘Wouldn’t trust’ Hamas figures
Former British army commander Richard Camp has weighed in on the hospital blast, telling The Sun he found Israel’s evidence “pretty compelling” and he “wouldn’t trust” casualty figures produced by the Hamas terror group.
“In my experience, the IDF does not deny doing something of this sort if they do do it,” he said.
“There have been incidents in the past, where they’ve accidentally caused large numbers of civilian casualties, and in each case, when that’s happened they have admitted and explained why it happened. In my opinion there’s no doubt that the IDF did not carry out this attack.”
He added, “I wouldn’t trust the casualty figures produced the Hamas. The Gaza medical authorities are controlled by Hamas, and the figures they produce, very often are false, very often exaggerated. They very often attribute to the IDF casualties that have been [caused] by their own people.”
New pics cast doubt on ‘500 dead’ claim
New images have cast doubt on Hamas’ claims that a blast which it blamed on an Israeli air strike left up to “500 people” dead at a Gaza hospital.
Gaza’s Health Ministry claimed that a fiery explosion rocked the al-Ahli Arab Hospital at around 7pm local time on Tuesday evening, killing 471 people.
The news sparked outrage in neighbouring Muslim countries and widespread protests. Israel and the US both claim intelligence proves the blast was caused by a misfiring rocket from Gaza.
Israel also questioned the legitimacy of the original death toll claimed by Hamas.
Now photos and satellite images taken in the light of day appear to show minimal damage to the hospital itself. Images of the car park blast site show around a dozen burnt-out cars in a small area.
🧵Now that day has broken, and we're getting better evidence, I'm willing to share some PRELIMINARY thoughts on the al-Ahli hospital explosion. The photos of the scene are, to me, not consistent with an airstrike and are not consistent with claims that 500+ people were killed. pic.twitter.com/dzA3Bx71hr
— Nathan Ruser (@Nrg8000) October 18, 2023
But 500's incredibly high number, honestly implausible. Overlaying the area of damage on Google Earth - keep in mind this is mostly from burning cars NOT the explosion - it is 228m2.
— Nathan Ruser (@Nrg8000) October 18, 2023
This is that sort of crowd density (assuming there were no survivors which is also implausible). pic.twitter.com/A6JoWTht7q
“Now that day has broken, and we’re getting better evidence, I’m willing to share some preliminary thoughts on the al-Ahli hospital explosion,” Nathan Ruser, an analyst specialising in satellite imagery at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), wrote on X.
“The photos of the scene are, to me, not consistent with an air strike and are not consistent with claims that 500+ people were killed. Photos of the aftermath show that the vast majority of the damage is from fire. Only three cars show any clear sign of kinetic/structural damage. And for two of them, the general structure remains intact — despite clear damage. Indeed, within 10 metres of the impact site there are cars which appear mostly undamaged.”
Mr Ruser noted that the positioning of the cars was consistent with drone footage released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shortly after the explosion.
He said the claimed casualty count of 500 people “seems widely inconsistent with the damage we can see”. “I am not doubting that civilians were killed, videos show the bodies collected in the hospital courtyard and I have no reason to doubt that,” he said.
“But 500’s [an] incredibly high number, honestly implausible. Overlaying the area of damage on Google Earth — keep in mind this is mostly from burning cars NOT the explosion — it is 228 square metres.”
And we now have footage of the (partially) burnt-out parking lot at the Ahli Hospital in Gaza.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) October 18, 2023
Overall damage to the structures in the complex appears to be limited, a clay-tiled awning adjacent to the parking lot is still mostly intact. pic.twitter.com/Tf0EAUJLR5
Full footage from TASS, no impact craters, interior spaces appear to be intact. Injuries from flying glass appear to have occurred. pic.twitter.com/XCP8mG5YGx
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) October 18, 2023
Mr Ruser stressed that “none of this absolves the IDF from the countless civilians it has killed in this aerial campaign”, but added it “seems extremely clear to me, that much … of the initial reporting and discussion surrounding this explosion was inaccurate”.
“It has also put me in the unenviable position of not being able to fully trust the numbers that come out of the Gazan Health Ministry, considering they are the only source providing numerical figures of the unquestionably numerous casualties in Gaza,” he said.
An investigation by the BBC’s fact checking unit BBC Verify also raised questions about the initial claims. “Based on available evidence, it appears the explosion happened in a courtyard which is part of the hospital site,” the BBC said.
“Images of the ground after the blast do not show significant damage to surrounding hospital buildings. What the images do show are scorch marks and burnt-out cars.”
A failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization hit the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza City.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 18, 2023
IAF footage from the area around the hospital before and after the failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization: pic.twitter.com/AvCAkQULAf
A representative from the Anglican Church, which owns and runs the hospital, told the BBC that about 1000 displaced people were sheltering in the courtyard when it was hit and about 600 patients and staff were inside the building.
“Because of lack of access to the site for independent organisations, it is difficult to verify the number killed,” the BBC said.
It comes after US President Joe Biden told Israeli officials on a visit to Tel Aviv that based on intelligence he had seen the explosion was “done by the other team, not you”.
US officials later bolstered his statements by revealing they had collected “high confidence” intelligence signals that Islamic Jihad was behind the explosion, The Wall Street Journal reports.
“Our current assessment, based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information, is that Israel is not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza,” said White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson.
‘Done by the other team’: Biden
US President Joe Biden has backed his ally’s stance blaming Palestinian militants for a rocket strike on a hospital that allegedly killed hundreds in war-torn Gaza.
Multiple countries blamed Israel, which has rained bombs on Gaza since the bloody October 7 attack by Hamas, and protests erupted in Muslim countries from Egypt to Pakistan while Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah vowed a “day of rage”.
But Mr Biden, on a solidarity visit to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, voiced support for Israel’s position that a misfired Islamic Jihad rocket caused the deadly carnage at Gaza’s Christian-run Ahli Arab Hospital.
“I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday,” Mr Biden said about the strike that killed 471 people, according to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry.
“And, based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” said the US President, referring to the armed movements Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which Washington designates “terrorist” groups.
“But there’s a lot of people out there not sure, so we have to overcome a lot of things.”
Asked later by reporters what made him sure that Israel was not responsible for the strike, Mr Biden replied, “The data I was shown by my Defense Department.”
Mr Biden expressed “iron-clad” US support for Israel and its military campaign.
“We will continue to have your back,” he said after meeting Mr Netanyahu’s war cabinet in Tel Aviv.
“As you work to defend your people, we will continue to work with you and partners across the region to prevent more tragedy to innocent civilians.”
Biden lands in Israel
US President Joe Biden has landed in Israel, where he was welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
His visit came after a blame game erupted between Hama sand Israel over the explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip.
‘We will not kneel’: Abbas
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has cut short his trip to Jordan in the wake of last night’s hospital blast that allegedly claimed the lives of 500 people in Gaza.
The leader under siege has vowed Palestine “will not surrender, and will prevail”, refusing to let the current situation devolve into another generational catastrophe for the sovereignty of the embattled nation.
He described the situation on the ground as a “hideous war massacre”.
“In light of this calamity that occurred tonight, and out of concern for our people, I decided to cut short my visit and return to the homeland to be among my people in this great ordeal, and I agreed with the brothers in Jordan and Egypt to cancel the summit that was scheduled today in Amman with President Biden,” Mr Abbas said.
“We will not allow a new Nakba in the 21st century, and we will not accept the displacement of our people again. Our people will remain steadfast in their homeland and will not leave, no matter the sacrifices.
“We will do everything necessary to stop the bloodbath in Gaza and in the West Bank. We will not accept anything other than stopping this war, and the Security Council must shoulder its responsibilities and take the initiative to issue a resolution to condemn this crime and stop the aggression immediately.
“Our people will not kneel, will not surrender, and will prevail.”
Biden to pose ‘tough questions’
We are awaiting the moment US President Joe Biden arrives in Israel, where he will pose “tough questions” to government officials as the situation continues to deteriorate.
Mr Biden has now had his trip to Jordan cancelled as the war in Gaza continues.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told Al Jazeera the Amman summit was cancelled as “there is no use in talking now about anything except stopping the war”.
UN calls for ‘immediate ceasefire’
Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres has called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza following the hospital blast.
Mr Guterres was speaking at a Beijing forum attended by both Chinese President Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin and stressed that the “entire region” hangs in the balance.
His comments followed a threat from Iran to intervene and attack Israel before the IDF could continue its plan to wipe Hamas from Gaza.
“I call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire … to ease the epic human suffering we are witnessing,” he said. “Too many lives, and the fate of the entire region hang in the balance.”
Gaza’s Health Ministry said the scene on the ground was “unparalleled and indescribable”.
“Doctors are performing surgeries on the ground and in the corridors, and some of them were without anaesthesia,” ministry spokesman Dr Ashraf Al-Qudra said in a statement following the alleged attack.
“A lot of people are still waiting for operations, and the medical teams are trying to save their lives in intensive care.”
Horrifying scenes at site of hospital blast
Palestinian authorities claim 500 people are feared dead after the blast at al-Ahli Arab Hospital.
Zaher Sahloul from the US-based MedGlobal humanitarian organisation called it “the worst attack on a medical facility in the 21st century”.
“Bombing hospitals is against international law,” he said. “It is a war crime. It compounds trauma in the Gaza Strip, sending the message that nowhere is safe, not even inside a hospital.”
The World Health Organisation (WHO) demanded the immediate protection of civilians and health care in the Gaza Strip.
“WHO strongly condemns the attack on al-Ahli Arab Hospital,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.
Tamara al-Rifai, from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), claimed there was “direct Israeli fire” on the hospital.
“An attack on densely populated refugee camps where people are sheltering in UN schools and premises is something that is utterly shocking,” she told Al Jazeera. “It is a very sad violation of international humanitarian law. I am lost for words right now.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was “shocked and horrified” by the blast.
“Hospitals should be sanctuaries to preserve human life, not scenes of death and destruction,” it said in a statement.
“No patient should be killed in a hospital bed. No doctors should lose their lives while trying to save others. Hospitals must be protected under international humanitarian law.”
Israel slams hospital ‘blood libel’
Israel’s Foreign Ministry claims it has vision that proves Hamas rockets were responsible for the blast at the hospital.
“From the analysis of the operational systems of the IDF, an enemy rocket barrage was carried out towards Israel, which passed through the vicinity of the hospital when it was hit,” a post from Israel’s official account on X reads.
“According to intelligence information, from several sources we have, the Islamic Jihad terrorist organisation is responsible for the failed shooting that hit the hospital.”
It said that “the IDF did not conduct any operations in the area at the time of impact”.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a furious statement shortly after the blast.
“So the whole world knows: The barbaric terrorists in Gaza are the ones who attacked the Gaza hospital, not the IDF,” Mr Netanyahu said.
“Those who cruelly murdered our children, murder their children as well.”
And Israeli President Isaac Herzog has slammed allegations it launched an air strike on the hospital.
“An Islamic Jihad missile has killed many Palestinians at a Gazan hospital — a place where lives should be saved,” Mr Herzog said in a post on X.
“Shame on the media who swallow the lies of Hamas and Islamic Jihad — broadcasting a 21st-Century blood libel around the globe. Shame on the vile terrorists in Gaza who wilfully spill the blood of the innocent. Never before has the choice been clearer. Israel is standing against an enemy made of pure evil. If you stand for humanity — for the value of all human life — you stand with Israel.”
Fiery protests break out
Thousands of angry protesters have stormed part of the US Embassy in Lebanon, tearing down an American flag and replacing it with a Palestinian one.
The streets of Beirut have been filled with demonstrators, who began gathering late on Tuesday night local time following the deadly blast at a Gaza hospital.
Another crowd gathered outside the French Embassy nearby. Police shot off smoke bombs in an attempt to disperse demonstrators.
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran, called for mass protests in response to the hospital blast.
At the same time, hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets across West Bank cities, including Ramallah.
Footage shows demonstrators clashing with authorities, with security forces firing tear gas on the crowd.
The AFP news agency says people in the crowd were demanding Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas resign over his handling of the conflict with Israel.
Similar protests against the hospital attack are being staged in Tunisia, Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Morocco, Yemen and Lebanon.
— with AFP and NY Post
Originally published as Israel taking ‘zero tolerance’ approach to protests as conflict rages in Gaza
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