US President Joe Biden on Wednesday exonerated Israel over the explosion that took place the day before at Gaza’s Al-Ahli Arab hospital, pointing the finger at “the other team” during a meeting in Tel Aviv with the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) says: rocket ship flawed launched by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas. And the first data from North American intelligence agencies point in the same direction. But this did not silence the protests in the Arab world. Biden left Israel not with a ceasefire, but with the promise that humanitarian aid can enter Gaza.
The US president’s visit (his second to a war zone this year, following his trip to Ukraine) was aimed at reiterating US support for Israel after the October 7 Hamas attack and ensuring a humanitarian response in Gaza, the target of Israeli bombing since then. . But the explosion the day before – which Palestinians say killed at least 471 people – jeopardized everything, with the Israelis immediately accused by the Palestinians of being responsible.
Even before leaving Washington, Biden already knew that his trip would only go to Tel Aviv and no longer to Jordan, where he would initially meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas and Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al – Sissi. Palestinians blamed Israel for the attack on the hospital, with thousands of people demonstrating in several cities from Beirut to the West Bank, Sanaa and Algiers.
Upon arriving in Israel, Biden said he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the explosion and pointed the finger at the Palestinians. The White House later explained that it was continuing to gather information, but that initial indications from US intelligence agencies ruled out the explosion. Israel’s responsibility.
Even before Biden arrived, the IDF had presented evidence that the explosion at the hospital was caused by a malfunction in a rocket ship launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to an IDF spokesperson, this organization has shot ten rockets At the time of the attack (around 7:00 PM local time), one of them fell prematurely and hit the hospital parking lot. Islamic Jihad denied responsibility and insisted on blaming Israel.
However, the Israeli military claims it did not fire any shots that could have caused the explosion. Furthermore, they explain that a missile would have left a large crater at the site and caused more structural damage to surrounding buildings, but images of the aftermath of the attack only show a burned area. IDF spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari said the damage was the result of fuel from the tank rocket ship which caught fire after hitting the ground.
The Israelis have also released images of what they say it is rocket ship have problems after launch and fall, hit the hospital park. And a dialogue between two alleged Hamas members, with one of them saying the wreckage came from a rocket ship of Islamic Jihad and that it was thrown from the cemetery next to the hospital.
The statements did not convince everyone, with some recalling that Israel had ordered the evacuation of 20 hospitals in Gaza – including Al-Ahli Arab – and had been the target of Israeli attacks over the weekend.
Humanitarian help
While Biden supported the Israeli version, he also left a warning about the response to the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, which left more than 1,400 dead in Israel. “Since this terrorist attack took place, we have seen it described as Israel’s September 11th. But for a country as big as Israel, it was like September 15, 11.” said Biden, reiterating US support for the Israelis.
The US president spoke of the “shock”, “pain” and “anger” that Israelis feel about what happened. “But be careful. If you feel that anger, don’t let it consume you. After September 11, we were angry in the US. And while we sought and received justice, we also made mistakes.” Biden added.
Israel’s response was to bomb the Gaza Strip, order the Palestinians to withdraw from the north of the area – in anticipation of a possible land invasion – and declare a total siege, cutting off water and electricity. At least 3,200 Palestinians have already been killed in the attacks.
Biden received a guarantee from Israel that it would not block humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip via Egypt. “Taking into account President Biden’s request, Israel will not hinder the delivery of humanitarian supplies from Egypt as long as it only concerns food, water and medicine for the civilian population in the southern Gaza Strip,” the government said in a statement. without, however, indicating the date on which this aid can enter through the Rafah border.
US vetoes resolution
While Biden was on the ground, the US vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on the conflict. The motion, proposed by Brazil (which currently chairs this body), called for a pause in bombing and humanitarian corridors to allow aid, while also condemning Hamas’ “heinous terrorist crimes.”
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield justified the veto by saying the resolution did not recognize Israel’s right to defend itself, explaining that she wanted to give Biden time on the ground. The resolution was supported by twelve of the fifteen members of the Security Council; Britain and Russia (who had tried unsuccessfully to broker a lasting ceasefire and end Israel’s indiscriminate attacks) abstained.
‘The UN Security Council, which has become completely ineffective, has once again failed to fulfill its responsibility”, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote on Twitter (renamed .
Source: DN
