In a statement Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said the current U.S. assessment, based on “overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information,” found that Israel was “not responsible” for the blast at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza. Earlier in the day, President Biden, visiting Israel in a show of support for the U.S. ally, said the strike appeared to have resulted from an “errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza,” echoing claims made by the Israel Defense Forces. The Gaza Health Ministry said the strike, which Palestinian authorities have blamed on Israel, killed 471 people. None of the claims could be immediately verified by The Washington Post. Separately, President Biden announced plans for an “unprecedented” aid package to Israel, as well as humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank, in a speech laced with calls for restraint.
Source link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/18/israel-hamas-war-news-gaza-update/