At least 500 people have been killed in an alleged Israeli strike on a hospital in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas said the strike was an Israeli attack, but the Israeli military said a rocket barrage fired by militants was to blame for the deaths.
Israeli Army spokesperson had said the cause of the incident was not known and the Army was looking into the details.
Also, Israel’s Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu denied responsibility for the attack on the hospital, blaming it on Hamas militants.
Taking to his X account (formerly Twitter), Netanyahu wrote: “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 responsible for the failed rocket launch which hit the hospital in Gaza.”
Meanwhile, a United Nations (UN)-run school in central Gaza where 4,000 people are sheltering was also hit during an Israeli airstrike, killing at least six people.
“No place is safe in Gaza anymore, not even United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) facilities,” Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General said.
Earlier, the Israeli military insisted it was not targeting civilians, adding: “When we see a Hamas target, we will go after it.”
At least 600,000 people have fled the northern Gaza Strip for the south after Israeli military warnings.
Israel has blocked supplies of food, water, fuel, and electricity since the deadly Hamas attacks on 7 October but denies there is a humanitarian crisis.
The United States President, Joe Biden, will visit Israel on Wednesday to hear about its plans for a ground attack in Gaza.
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