Israeli military lays out intel on hospital explosion

An Israeli military spokesman said Israel crosschecked intelligence that proved a failed Islamic Jihad rocket launch caused a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital.

Had it been an Israeli strike, “we would have seen craters and structural damage to the building, both of which haven't been identified,” Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said.

Most of the damage was caused by propellant in the rocket and not by the warhead, he said. Propellant remained because the launch failed and the rocket didn't travel as far as intended, he said.

According to Israeli intelligence reports, Islamic Jihad fired about 10 rockets from a nearby cemetery at 6:59 pm Tuesday, and there were reports of an explosion at the hospital at that time, Hagari said.

He alleged that Hamas understood it was an Islamic Jihad rocket that misfired but “launched a global media campaign to hide what really happened”. (AP)