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Israeli alleged evidence of Baptist Hospital massacre debunked

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The New York Times
25 Oct 2023 16:45
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Israeli occupation forces' claim that a misfired rocket killed hundreds in al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was debunked by NYT as a big lie.

Palestinians search through the rubble of a building after an Israeli strike in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestine, Oct. 17, 2023. (AFP)

Following the Israeli war crime of bombing al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, several statements and theories spread across mainstream and social media by official Israeli accounts and supporters, trying to acquit the occupation from the blatant war crime.

The Israeli bomb shredded people to pieces with its shrapnel killing at least 500 on October 17.

"Israel" rushed to the claim that a misfired rocket caused all of this damage. However, a detailed NYT investigation of the evidence and videos available and resorted to by the occupation to absolve itself of the atrocity shows beyond doubt Israeli fingerprints on the unfathomable war crime.

Visual investigation

The video footage, which depicts a projectile streaking through the darkened skies over Gaza and causing an explosion in the air, has been widely cited as evidence by Israeli and American officials.

They have argued that a "malfunctioning Palestinian rocket led to a deadly explosion" at al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City. However, a detailed visual analysis conducted by The New York Times suggests that the missile in the video is unlikely to have caused the hospital explosion.

The red cones show the approximate camera views of the launch of the projectile that exploded in midair. By Zach Levitt, Charlie Smart and Weiyi Cai

In a swirl of Israeli untruths and falsehoods, the NYT analysis indicates that it detonated in the sky about two miles away and is unrelated to the massacre at the hospital. It's important to note that the analysis by The New York Times not only challenges a key piece of evidence that Israeli officials have relied on to support their case but also introduces complexity to the straightforward narrative they have presented.

"Israel" has launched over 8,000 munitions into Gaza. It's worth noting that al-Ahli Hospital had been hit by an illumination artillery shell three days prior, as supported by video evidence and the hospital's official Facebook page.

In its strained efforts to sell its narrative, "Israel" has issued a report concerning the airstrike on October 18. Additionally, it has referred to several other pieces of alleged "evidence" that remain undisclosed, including military activity logs, data from radar systems, additional audio interceptions, and more videos.

Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have highlighted the Al Jazeera video in their media interviews and on social media. The video was shared three times by Israeli occupation forces on X. In these posts, the Israeli military described the moving aerial object as a "rocket intended for Israel" that "misfired and detonated" at approximately the same time as al-Ahli Hospital explosion. Spokespersons for the Israeli military also expressly identified this projectile as the malfunctioning rocket responsible for the blast in interviews for CNN and the BBC on October 18, as well as in an interview for India Today on October 19.

'Israel' lies through its teeth

Numerous media outlets have aired the video footage, and some have referenced it as "evidence" of a Palestinian rocket striking the hospital. However, The New York Times investigation concluded that the missile shown in the video was never in close proximity to the hospital. It was launched from "Israel", not Gaza, and seemed to explode over the Gaza border, at a distance of at least two miles from the hospital.

To trace the flying object back to Israeli territory, The New York Times synchronized Al Jazeera footage with five other videos shot at the same time, including footage from an Israeli television station, Channel 12, and a CCTV camera in "Tel Aviv".

These various videos offered multiple perspectives on the missile from different directions (north, south, east, and west). By using satellite imagery to pinpoint the launch location in those videos, The Times concluded that the projectile was fired toward Gaza from the vicinity of the Israeli settlement of "Nahal Oz" shortly before the tragic hospital explosion. These findings align with the conclusions drawn by some online researchers.

Furthermore, the videos demonstrate that the projectile in Al Jazeera footage was launched after a series of Palestinian rockets, which Israeli officials had attributed to the hospital explosion. From 6:59 p.m. on October 17, barrages of Palestinian rockets were launched from two positions southwest and northwest of al-Ahli Arab Hospital. The flames from the Palestinian rockets could be seen in the night sky as they propelled northeast toward "Israel". More than 25 seconds passed between the last Palestinian rocket launch and the hospital explosion.

It is worth noting that the relentless thunder of Israeli artillery and the haunting roar of warplanes continue to tear through Gaza's skies, killing over 6,500 Palestinians and leaving over 17,000 wounded so far.