Gaza Hospital Blast Reportedly Kills Hundreds: Israel Blames Islamic Jihad; Hamas Blames Israel
It comes as President Biden heads Israel; Jordan cancels the planned Arab Summit
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Good morning,
Let’s start with US politics: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-O.H.) failed to win the House speakership Tuesday.
Twenty Republicans voted against him; Democrats unanimously voted for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
The House has been without a speaker for over two weeks. More voting is expected to begin today at 11 a.m., because if at first you don’t succeed…
Mosheh & Jill
🗞 BIDEN HEADS TO THE MIDDLE EAST AFTER HOSPITAL EXPLOSION IN GAZA
President Biden is set to arrive in Israel today, as tensions rise even further after a deadly explosion at a hospital in northern Gaza, which reportedly killed hundreds of Palestinians, many of whom were taking shelter at the hospital.
There are conflicting claims about who’s responsible: Palestinian officials blame ongoing Israeli airstrikes, but Israel is strongly denying any involvement. Israel says the explosion was from a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a rival/smaller terrorist group in Gaza. It comes as it is estimated that around 20 percent of their rockets fail, falling back on the territory—leading to damage and deaths.
THE DAMAGE
Footage aired by Al Jazeera showed a gruesome scene: rescue workers, medical staff and civilians responding to the hospital explosion, stepping over bodies on the ground as they carried out other bodies in blankets and white plastic sheets.
Ambulances and private cars rushed about 350 casualties from the blast at al-Ahli hospital to Gaza’s main hospital, al-Shifa, already overwhelmed with wounded from other strikes.
WHAT ISRAEL SAYS
The IDF says Islamic Jihad had fired a barrage of rockets near the hospital at the time and that “intelligence from multiple sources” indicated it was “responsible for the failed rocket launch that hit the hospital.”
A spokesman for Palestinian Islamic Jihad has denied the Israeli allegations.
Israel also says that they have obtained private communications between terrorists in Gaza “saying this is an Islamic Jihad event,” as well as drone footage showing the strike impact (not consistent with Israeli weaponry) on the hospital’s parking lot, but not the hospital itself. Israel says it has shared their intelligence with the US.
WHAT HAMAS CLAIMS
Hamas maintains that the hospital blast was caused by an Israeli strike and that the US is to blame for supporting the Israelis. They have yet to provide evidence for their assertion that it was an Israeli airstrike.
Notably, they also released a death toll within a few minutes of the blast, claiming more than 500 people were killed. Media agencies have not been able to independently verify that.
THE SOCIAL MEDIA RACE
Within minutes of the explosion at the hospital, global social media lit up with blame, misinformation, as accounts sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and Israeli cause began to point fingers before the facts were clear. Hamas quickly blamed Israel, leading to tens of thousands of Palestinians and civilians across the Arab world to take to the streets. Israel quickly replied that it was assessing the cause, then releasing an official statement a little over an hour after the attack that it was an errant rocket from Islamic Jihad.
Lesson for all of us: Take a beat before re-sharing unverified information during this war. Facts First.
THIRD-PARTY ANALYSIS
A third party group that has done good analysis in Ukraine— where it’s also difficult to discern who did what to whom— has come to this conclusion: “The missile launched by a Palestinian group exploded mid-air and one piece fell on the hospital causing an explosion.”
THE BACKLASH: NO ARAB SUMMIT
Regardless of who is to blame, the backlash has been swift, particularly from the Arab world. For one, Jordan canceled its planned summit with President Biden, in which the president was supposed to meet with Palestinian and Egyptian leaders as well.
That decision came as Biden boarded the plane for his Mideast trip.
Earlier, Jordan's King Abdullah blamed Israel for the hospital bombing and described the incident as a "massacre" and "war crime.”
He also declared three days of mourning for those killed in the hospital strike.
PROTESTS AROUND THE MIDDLE EAST
Protests have erupted across the Arab world, and Hezbollah, a terrorist organization in Lebanon, has called for a “day of rage” today, calling the strike a “massacre” and “brutal crime.”
Hundreds of Palestinians flooded the streets of Ramallah in the West Bank, which is the seat of the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinian security forces in Ramallah fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters throwing rocks and chanting against Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday.
In Jordan, protesters tried to storm the Israeli embassy in Amman, lighting fires outside the embassy.
Protests also broke out in Turkey and Morocco.
BIDEN’S TRIP
President Biden is traveling to Israel today in a show of solidarity with Israel after the Hamas terrorist attack, in which more than 1,300 Israelis were killed and more than 200 taken hostage.
Biden’s goal will be to show American solidarity with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while trying to avoid a broader regional war involving Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah and Syria.
STATUS UPDATE
As for the situation on the ground—Israel has not yet launched its expected ground invasion into Gaza. But the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to get worse, with Gaza close to a total collapse.
Humanitarian aid is piling up at Gaza’s shuttered border, despite diplomatic efforts to open a corridor from Egypt.
Gazans are pleading for water, food and fuel.
Rafah crossing, Gaza’s only connection to Egypt, continues to be closed. Egypt is still negotiating with Israel on allowing aid into Gaza. Both sides blame one another for the delay.
Hamas maintains Palestinian groups are holding 200-250 hostages in the Gaza Strip. Israel has confirmed that 199 people were taken captive during the Oct. 7 terror attacks and are currently being held in the territory.
Jordan's King Abdullah warned against pushing Palestinian refugees into Egypt or Jordan, adding that the humanitarian situation must be dealt with inside Gaza and the West Bank.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Accountant testifies in Trump civil fraud trial after Michael Cohen postpones (PBS)
📌 ‘Stunned and sickened:’ Major foundation cuts ties with Harvard over ‘tiptoeing’ on Hamas (CNN)
📌 Alex Murdaugh gets legal win in push for new trial (FOX)
📌 US has provided Ukraine long-range ATACMS missiles, sources say (CNN)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Putin visits China to bolster ties with ‘my friend,’ Xi (NY TIMES)
📌 India’s Supreme Court refuses to legalize same-sex marriage, saying it’s up to Parliament (AP)
📌 Climate activist Greta Thunberg detained by police in London (REUTERS)
📌 Amazon river fall to lowest levels in 121 years, amid severe drought (CNN)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 GM to delay all-electric truck production at Michigan plant until late-2025 (CNBC)
📌 U.S. Tightens China’s Access to Advanced Chips for Artificial Intelligence (NY TIMES)
📌 Zipcar fined after allowing customers rent vehicles with open, unrepaired recalls (ABC NEWS)
📌 Apple launches cheaper $79 Apple Pencil with hidden USB-C charging port (CNBC)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Britney Spears reveals she had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake (ROLLING STONE)
📌 Eagles sign 7-time Pro Bowl WR Julio Jones to deal (ESPN)
📌 Prosecutors investigating Rust shooting intend to bring involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin before a grand jury (NBC NEWS)
📌 SAG-AFTRA Strike Hangs on $480 Million Gap Between Actors and Studios on Streaming Pay (VARIETY)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: OCTOBER 18
1851: American author Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick was first published (as The Whale), in London.
1867: Alaska was formally transferred to the United States. The purchase of the Russian colony for $7.2 million was negotiated by U.S. Secretary of State William Seward.
That’s equivalent to about $150 million today, or about 42 cents an acre.
1961: West Side Story, an adaptation of a Broadway play, was released in American theaters; it won 10 Academy Awards, including best picture.
1991: Clarence Thomas became the second Black American to serve on the United States Supreme Court