2023-11-26 14:15:00
More than a month following the deadly explosion in a parking lot outside Al-Ahli Hospital in the Gaza Strip that killed dozens, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Sunday preliminary investigation report published. Accordingly, a Palestinian rocket is said to be the most likely cause of the explosion, which made headlines around the world – and for the authorities in Gaza, as well as many Arab governments, to this day blame Israel. The findings of the Human Rights Watch investigation are consistent with the analyzes of other observers and media . In its analysis from mid-October, ZDFheute also came to the conclusion that the evidence rather points to a crashed Palestinian rocket.
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According to its own information, HRW evaluated videos and photos from the explosion site and spoke to five eyewitnesses. The site of the explosion was not able to be visited in person. In particular, the lack of rocket remains has so far prevented a clear identification of the projectile – and thus also the faction that fired it.
“Authorities in Gaza appear to be in possession of remains that would help reach a conclusive conclusion,” writes Human Rights Watch. A photo from the evening of the explosion is said to show employees of a special unit of the Gaza police at the explosion crater.
“The sound before the explosion, the fireball, the size of the crater, the type and pattern of fragments visible around the crater all match the impact of a rocket,” the experts are certain. HRW considers the fact that all remnants of the suspected rocket have completely disintegrated, as Hamas representatives subsequently claimed, to be unbelievable.
Video footage showed that less than a minute before the explosion, numerous Palestinian rockets were fired from a location around five kilometers from the hospital. During the same period, Israel also shelled surrounding areas. A large bomb dropped from the air, as Israel often uses, is very unlikely given the damage on the ground.
The exact number of victims has not yet been clarified. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported 471 deaths. “Human Rights Watch was unable to confirm these figures, which are significantly higher than other protections (…) and do not correspond to the extent of the visible damage on the ground,” writes the human rights organization.
She called on Israel and the authorities in Gaza to make publicly available all available information, including medical reports on the victims’ injuries. The organization emphasizes that Israel has repeatedly attacked medical facilities during the current conflict.
Palestinian attacks with extremely inaccurate rockets on Israeli residential areas are entirely war crimes, Human Rights Watch said. In the past, civilian deaths in Gaza have been documented as a result of misdirected rockets; according to Israeli surveys, 10 to 20 percent of all rockets launched from Gaza crash. “Documenting the damage from misguided rockets is difficult because authorities in Gaza obstruct investigations into such incidents,” writes HRW.
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In a statement to HRW, a Hamas representative said its own investigation into the incident was reportedly ongoing and that it would provide all evidence “as soon as possible.” Hamas did not respond to Human Rights Watch’s specific questions regarding rocket debris or rockets fired by Palestinian organizations on the evening in question.
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