Human Rights Watch said Sunday that there is evidence to indicate that an accidentally launched missile was the probable cause of the explosion that led to massive loss of life and injuries at a Gaza hospital on October 17.
The organization added: “Although launch errors are frequent, further investigation is needed to determine who launched the missile and whether the laws of war were violated.”
The attack on the Arab National Hospital (Al-Baptist) sparked widespread anger throughout the Arab world. The Palestinians said it was caused by an Israeli airstrike, while Israel said it was caused by an mistakenly launched Palestinian missile.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said 471 people had been killed. Israel disputes this number. A declassified US intelligence report estimated the death toll “in the low range of 100 to 300”.
“The explosion that killed and injured many civilians in the Arab National Hospital in Gaza on 17 October 2023 was apparently caused by a rocket-propelled grenade, like those usually used by Palestinian armed factions,” Human Rights said Watch.
It added that the findings of its investigation into the explosion were based on a review of photos, videos, satellite images and interviews with witnesses and experts.
The Al-Ahli hospital explosion was one of the most controversial incidents in a war characterized by the two sides exchanging accusations of deception and committing war crimes.
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, told Reuters that all indications point to Israel’s responsibility, adding that the Human Rights Watch report was biased in favor of Israel and was “not conclusive”.
He added: “Human Rights Watch has provided no evidence to support its findings, nor testimony, nor an opinion on independent military exports,” adding that Hamas received questions from Human Rights Watch two weeks ago, but asked it to postpone his report. until after the end of the war.
Emmanuel Nahshon, deputy director general for public diplomacy at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized the time it took Human Rights Watch to express its opinion.
“More than a month to reach, without much conviction, the conclusion that the whole world reached after two days,” he said on the social platform
Naim said Hamas offered Human Rights Watch or any other international investigative committee full cooperation if it was willing to visit Gaza and conduct a thorough investigation.
Human Rights Watch said reports of 471 people killed and 342 injured “show an unusually high ratio of dead to injured” and appear to be “disproportionate” to the damage visible at the site.
“The authorities in Gaza and Israel should publish evidence relating to ammunition remnants and other information regarding the Al-Ahli hospital explosion to allow for a full investigation,” said Ida Sawyer, director of crises and conflicts at Human Rights Watch.
Hospitals have been bombed in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and all hospitals in the northern part of the Strip have stopped functioning normally, although they still house some patients who have not managed to escape and those displaced from their homes.
Palestinians accuse Israel of targeting hospitals and schools, while Israel says Hamas is using ordinary Gazans as human shields by placing military sites in civilian buildings.