President Joe Biden says it “appears” the blast at a hospital in the Gaza Strip was not caused by an Israeli airstrike.
During a trip to Israel on Wednesday, Biden said, “I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday.”
“And based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you, but there’s a lot of people out there not sure, so we gotta overcome a lot of things,” he added.
Watch the video below:
BIDEN: "I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday and based on what I've seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you, but there's a lot of people out there not sure, so we gotta overcome a lot of things" pic.twitter.com/rmSgPcCdAd
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 18, 2023
His comment comes after some of the most shameful reporting surrounding an explosion at the Al Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City.
On Tuesday afternoon, major media outlets reported an explosion killed hundreds of people. And outlets such as The New York Times first ran stories with headlines claiming Israel bombed the hospital that read, “Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say.”
The Times has since changed the headline to call the incident a “blast” instead of a “strike.”
It's like the "Homer into the Bushes" meme just with NYT pic.twitter.com/w2lOIwUgTc
— American Prometheus (@daniopp) October 17, 2023
The source of the information these outlets cited were “Palestinian officials,” which in the case of Gaza is Hamas — the organization behind the mass slaughter of Jewish people in Israel.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) was quick to advance the claim Israel had bombed a hospital as she posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that.”
“[Biden] this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire [and] help de-escalate. Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many Palestinian Americans and Muslims Americans like me. We will remember where you stood,” she added.
Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that. @POTUS this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) October 17, 2023
Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many… https://t.co/mZYoifT7bj
Protests broke out in the West Bank and across the Middle East in response. Meanwhile, a planned meeting with Biden and other Arab nation leaders in Jordan was canceled following the blast.
But apparently, no one stopped to ask, “Why would Israel bomb a hospital while Biden was hours away from getting on a plane to fly to Israel in a show of support?”
They also apparently didn’t think it was important to wait for any kind of confirmation of the explosion or shrapnel that would provide evidence the hospital was hit by an Israeli missile, or a video of the blast.
Israel has since released what it says is evidence the blast was caused by a missile launched in Gaza by Islamic Jihad that failed and hit the hospital. Israeli officials denied they had aircraft operating in the area and released what they say is radar data showing rockets from Gaza passing over the hospital.
Meanwhile, journalists have raised doubts the damage sustained by the blast was consistent with an Israeli air strike. The Intercept’s Murtaza Hussain shared a picture from the location of the hospital on Wednesday and wrote, “Provisionally this image does not look consistent with an airstrike. In daylight it’s clear that the hospital building itself was not leveled but rather the cars in the parking lot may have ignited.”
Provisionally this image does not look consistent with an airstrike. In daylight it’s clear that the hospital building itself was not leveled but rather the cars in the parking lot may have ignited. https://t.co/Tty30VtA8i
— Murtaza Hussain (@MazMHussain) October 18, 2023
Meanwhile, Reuters reported about the extent of the damage sustained, “Footage and images obtained by Reuters from inside the hospital showed about two dozen destroyed vehicles in its grounds. They were surrounded by damaged buildings with windows blown out. Blood stains were on the walls and on the ground.”
If only journalists, commentators, and politicians had waited for more information to come out. Instead, they rushed out stories and tweets claiming Israel bombed a hospital relying on Hamas’ statement.
This did not have some trivial impact either. Biden’s summit was scuttled. The claim Israel bombed a hospital will live on, and it potentially gives Iran and Hezbollah a pretense to get involved in the war. It is also likely the claim will fuel anti-semitism in the U.S. and abroad.
There was a way to cover the blast without giving credence to the claim Israel bombed a hospital without evidence, such as writing a headline that states, “Explosion at hospital in Gaza kills hundreds.” Yet for many, the first headlines from the Times and other outlets are what they will remember and believe.
