Reports show Israeli authorities have accused Palestinian Islamic Jihad of carrying out last Tuesday night’s deadly bombing at a hospital in Gaza City.
By comparing publically available satellite data with on-the-ground details, the evidence suggests the explosion took place in a courtyard on the hospital grounds. Afterimages of the scene lack any significant damage to the nearby hospitals. Images reveal scorched cars and cars that the fire has completely destroyed.
The next day, the Palestinian Ministry of Health claimed the death toll from the bombing was 471. Palestinian authorities claimed an Israeli airstrike caused it.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have claimed that the stated death toll is exaggerated on purpose, but they have not provided their estimate of casualties. It is hard to confirm the number of deaths because independent organizations cannot access the site.
Reports reveal Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are violent groups operating in Gaza; the latter claims to have kidnapped Israelis.
After Israel occupied the Gaza Strip in the 1980s, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad was established as a resistance movement influenced by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s revolution.
As per the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, since its inception, the armed group has become the second largest militant force in the Gaza Strip and receives backing from Syria, Iran, and Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah.
According to the National Counterterrorism Center, this organization is dedicated to the annihilation of Israel, and its military component, al-Quds Brigades, has been liable for numerous strikes on Israeli targets since the 1990s.
Palestinian militant organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad have the same goal of toppling the Israeli occupation of Gaza. Both are supported by and have close relations with Iran, albeit they operate independently.
The United States and the European Union have both recognized Islamic Jihad as a foreign terrorist group, making it equivalent to Hamas in this regard. The smaller of the two, Islamic Jihad, is considered more extremist and is only dedicated to fighting Israel. Hamas serves as the governmental organization of Gaza and has social and political roles.
