'High Confidence': US intelligence reveals Gaza hospital blast caused by Palestinian rocket that suffered engine failure

US intelligence officials have revealed that the blast at a Gaza hospital last week was caused by a Palestinian rocket that suffered an engine failure and broke apart mid-flight with the warhead striking the hospital’s parking lot. Intelligence officials say that they have “high confidence” that “no Israeli weapon was involved in the explosion” that killed at least 471 people. Talking to reporters, intelligence officials said, “We assess with high confidence that Israel was not responsible for the explosion at the hospital and that Palestinian militants were responsible.” They, however, added, “We assess with low confidence that Palestine Islamic Jihad was responsible for launching the rocket that landed on the hospital.” Previously, US officials had indicated that the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was “most likely” behind the blast. How has US intelligence backed their claims? US officials say that their evidence is based on Israeli intercepts of Palestinian armed groups as well as videos that are publicly available. These videos allowed officials to determine that the rocket was launched from Gaza shortly after which it underwent a “catastrophic motor failure” due to which the rocket’s warhead fell on the hospital’s parking lot. Their assessments were also based on communications intercepts provided by Israel and images of the explosion and the aftermath. UK intelligence says hospital blast caused by militants’ rockets UK intelligence services have concluded that the blast in Gaza’s Al-Ahli Arab Hospital was caused by a rocket launched by a Palestinian militant group and not by Israel. Britain’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that their assessment was based on intelligence and analysis of weapons which led to the conclusion that “the explosion was likely caused by a missile or part of one that was launched from within Gaza towards Israel”.

Sunak also criticised some media outlets for reporting that the blast was caused by Israel, saying that it “had a negative effect in the region, including on a vital US diplomatic effort and on tensions here at home”.