Hundreds killed at Gaza hospital amid conflicting claims

About 500 Palestinians were killed in a blast at a Gaza hospital on Tuesday (October 17) that Palestinian health authorities said was caused by an Israeli air strike but that the Israeli military blamed on a failed rocket launch by a Palestinian militant group.

The blast was the bloodiest single incident in Gaza since Israel launched an unrelenting bombing campaign against the densely populated territory in retaliation for a deadly cross-border Hamas assault on southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7.

It took place on the eve of a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to Israel to show support for the country in its war with Hamas, the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip, and to hear how Israel plans to minimize civilian casualties.

Reuters could not independently verify who was responsible for the blast.

The health minister in the Hamas-run government of Gaza, Mai Alkaila, accused Israel of a massacre. A Gaza civil defense chief said 300 people were killed and a health ministry official said 500 were killed.

Read more at https://nypost.com/2023/10/17/israel-hamas-war-live-updates-and-latest-news/

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