Israel tries deflecting blame for hospital attack; evidence proves otherwise

On Tuesday night, Israel targeted Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza in an air-strike that killed more than 1000 civilians.

Media reports state that thousands of Palestinians were present in the hospital for treatment and refuge when it was attacked.

As the world recoiled in horror, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza.”

An analysis of IDF operational systems indicates that a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity to the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza at the time it was hit.

Intelligence from multiple sources we have in our hands indicates that Islamic Jihad is…

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 17, 2023

However, fact-checking organisations and journalists are proving otherwise. Evidence show that the former digital media officer of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shared a post announcing that “the Israeli Air Force has hit a hospital in Gaza”.

“It was determined that Naftali, who deleted the post after a short time, tried to manipulate the world public opinion by sharing posts claiming that “the missile that hit the hospital was fired from Gaza””

Immediately after the bombing of the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, Hananya Naftali, the former digital media officer of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shared a post announcing that "the Israeli Air Force has hit a hospital in Gaza".

It was determined that… pic.twitter.com/JyEZCO7c7E

— Dezenformasyonla Mücadele Merkezi (@dmmiletisim) October 17, 2023

Additonally, the official Israeli state account posted a video blaming Hamas for the bombing of the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital but later removed it on realizing it was filmed after the attack and had a time stamp proving so.

The official Israeli state account posted a video on the X platform at 22:42 (Turkish time), blaming Hamas for the bombing of the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital.

Despite the fact that the hospital was struck at approximately 19:27 (local time), the video shared from the account was… pic.twitter.com/mkOtXGH5hH

— Dezenformasyonla Mücadele Merkezi (@dmmiletisim) October 17, 2023

The Palestinian Ambassador to the UN also rebutted the claims being made by Israel.

“He is a liar, Israel tweeted about the attack and then deleted, we have the copy of that deleted tweet”
Palestinian Ambassador to the UN
Video Source @AJENews pic.twitter.com/djRiRPm1Nl

— Shama Junejo (@ShamaJunejo) October 17, 2023

🇮🇱🇵🇸 IDF-affiliated accounts are sharing this video serve as “proof” that Hamas bombed the Gaza Baptist Hospital.

Only problem?

This video is from August of 2022. https://t.co/2OefWDCZaj

— Jackson Hinkle 🇺🇸 (@jacksonhinklle) October 17, 2023

Busting false information

Communications Directorate’s Center for Combating Disinformation, a Turkish fact checking body, said on X:

“The claim that ‘(Palestinian group) Hamas, not Israel, carried out the attack’ on the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza’s al-Zaytoun neighbourhood is false,”

After analysis of widely circulated media posts it was deducted that the “images shared by Israeli propaganda accounts claiming that a ‘Hamas missile hit the hospital’ were from 2022,” not 2023.

The claim that "Hamas, not Israel, carried out the attack" on the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza's al-Zaytoun neighbourhood is false.

The al-Zaytoun neighbourhood in the north of Gaza is an area where hundreds of civilians have been killed in days of intense Israeli… pic.twitter.com/l6HcwkeFPl

— Dezenformasyonla Mücadele Merkezi (@dmmiletisim) October 17, 2023

The claim that "The missile that struck the hospital was fired from Gaza" in relation to certain images disseminated by pro-Israeli propaganda channels is false.
It has been determined that the alleged images have been circulating on social media platforms since the year 2022.… pic.twitter.com/eA4GjONRNh

— Dezenformasyonla Mücadele Merkezi (@dmmiletisim) October 17, 2023

The Anadolu Agency quotes the centre in which it has been pointed out “the Israeli army demanded the immediate evacuation of hospitals, alleging that they were being used as shelters,” reinforcing that Israeli forces were “deliberately” carrying out the deadly attacks.

“The claim shared on some social media accounts that ‘Gaza’s official account admits that Hamas carried out the hospital attack’ is not true,

“’Gaza Report’ account cited as the basis for the claim is not the official account of Gaza or any Palestinian institution,”

“It has been determined that the account was used for manipulation purposes.”