The French military intelligence directorate (DRM) stated that the explosion at a Gaza hospital was not a result of an Israeli missile strike but likely caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket.
The blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital on Tuesday claimed the lives of 471 individuals, as reported by Palestinian officials. While the Gaza health ministry attributed the incident to an Israeli air strike, Israel claimed it was a result of a failed rocket launch by militants.
According to the DRM, the impact crater’s size indicated that an Israeli missile was not the cause. The DRM suggested that a Palestinian rocket, potentially carrying a 5-kilogram charge, was the most probable hypothesis, noting that Palestinian groups possessed small-caliber rockets with similar explosive capabilities.
President Emmanuel Macron instructed the DRM to make its findings public, considering the conflicting narratives about the responsible party. The analysis, based on open-source material, discounted several potential causes, including fragments from Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system or intercepted missiles.
The exact origin of the misfired rocket remained unknown, and the DRM refrained from assigning blame to any specific group. While the DRM did not provide an exact death toll, it suggested that it was likely to be lower than 471 based on the impact assessment.
In response to an October 7 attack by Hamas gunmen resulting in the deaths of 1,400 Israelis, Israel vowed to dismantle the group, placing the 2.3 million residents of Gaza under siege. The strikes on the area have led to over 4,100 casualties and displaced more than a million people, with Israel now gearing up for a ground offensive.
