World in Shock as Hospital in Gaza Hit by Rocket Strike: Nearly 500 Dead and Hundreds Injured

In the early hours of today, a rocket struck Al-Ahli Hospital in the central part of the Gaza Strip. According to Gaza's health authorities, around 500 people lost their lives, with many others sustaining injuries. Currently, there is no conclusive evidence pinpointing the party responsible for firing the rocket. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), known as the IDF, claim that the medical facility was targeted by the Palestinian group "Islamic Jihad." In Palestine, the blame for the hospital strike is directed at the Israeli military, as reported by BBC.

It's worth noting that numerous online videos depicting the incident do not show an attack from the Israeli side. Instead, they display a massive barrage of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip, one of which might have struck the hospital building.

The IDF also asserts that the building was damaged due to an unsuccessful rocket launch by the terrorist organization "Islamic Jihad." "Terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip are indiscriminately firing at Israel, endangering and causing harm to local residents. Since the start of the conflict, terrorist organizations have launched approximately 450 rockets that fell in the Gaza Strip," said an IDF spokesperson.

Global leaders have reacted to the attack on Al-Ahli Hospital. U.S. President Joe Biden, who was visiting Israel, condemned the explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital. In a statement released by the White House, he expressed being "outraged and deeply saddened." Biden stressed that the U.S. "strongly supports protecting civilian lives during the conflict," and American officials continue to gather information about the Gaza situation.

White House Press Secretary John Kirby also told reporters that Biden will have "tough questions" for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

EU Chief Charles Michel stated that targeting strikes on civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip violates international law. "Attacks on civilian infrastructure do not conform to international law," he declared after an EU leaders' video conference.

"The United Kingdom is clear: the protection of civilian lives must come first. The UK will work with our allies to establish what happened and to safeguard innocent civilians in Gaza," said the UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on Twitter.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the strike on Al-Ahli Hospital, tweeting, "I am horrified by the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians."

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called the hospital strike absolutely unacceptable and insisted that those responsible must be held accountable. "I have no words. This evening, hundreds of people were killed due to a strike on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, including patients, medical staff, and families seeking refuge in and around the hospital. And, once again, the most vulnerable have been affected. This is absolutely unacceptable," he said.

Recall that on the morning of October 7, Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip, taking control of several communities in the border zone, taking dozens of hostages, and killing hundreds of civilian citizens. In response, Israel launched a counter-terrorism operation against the militants.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has evacuated 436 of its citizens from Israel.