Palestinians wounded in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip arrive at a hospital in Khan Younis on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. © AP Photo/Fatima Shbair
Palestinians Israel
(New York, NY) – Both the Associated Press and Reuters report that upwards of 500 people are dead after a bomb hit a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday. Quickly, Palestinian officials blamed the carnage on an Israeli air strike. Protests then unfolded in the West Bank and elsewhere outside of Israeli embassies. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and some on social media, suggest the explosion was more likely to have been caused by an errant rocket fired from somewhere within Gaza. The suggestion being that rocket may have missed its mark and hit the hospital.
But, much like earlier reports concerning beheaded babies and civilians set on fire — amid Hamas’ terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023 — it’s difficult to discern what is real and what is propaganda. Given the “fog of war” and more than 5,700 miles distance — figuring out the truth on the ground here in the US is never easy.
Still, the death toll continues to climb from the hospital. And, some reports suggest Hamas could be willing to hand over its hostages — if the Israeli Air Force ceases its air strikes. President Biden will soon travel to Israel in a bid to support victims of the attacks, and contain the fighting from escalating further. Meanwhile, a ground invasion of Gaza appears imminent. And there’s concern Hezbollah, based in Lebanon, could get into the fight.
