Canada’s National Department of Defence has released a statement asserting that Israel was not responsible for the strike on the al Ahli hospital in Gaza on October 17, 2023. The Canadian Forces Intelligence Command conducted independent analysis, expressing a high degree of confidence that the incident was more likely caused by an errant rocket fired from Gaza.
This conclusion aligns with findings from France and the United States, emphasising a consistent international perspective. Canada’s assessment is grounded in an analysis of blast damage to the hospital complex, adjacent structures, and the surrounding area, coupled with scrutiny of the incoming munition’s flight pattern.
Palestinian officials claim that 471 people lost their lives in the hospital blast, with conflicting narratives attributing the incident to an Israeli airstrike, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and a failed rocket launch by militants, as stated by Israel.
In a separate development, Israel conducted an airstrike on a compound beneath al Ansar Mosque in the West Bank, asserting its use by militants for organising attacks. Palestinian medics reported at least one fatality, marking the second strike in the West Bank amid escalating violence since the recent massacre in Israel by Hamas gunmen from Gaza.
The military cited recent intelligence suggesting that neutralised terrorists were organising an imminent attack, providing images of an entrance to a bunker under the mosque and a diagram illustrating weapons storage by militants.
Tragically, an Israeli airstrike on the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank, according to UN relief agency UNRWA, claimed at least 13 Palestinian lives, including five children. Reports also indicate the death of an Israeli soldier and numerous injuries. The strike damaged nearly 50 homes and impacted essential infrastructure, marking the most significant operation since the July incident in Jenin. The UNRWA director highlighted the escalating threat to Palestine Refugees in camps across the West Bank.
