It’s hard to know what’s going on with the Israel-Hamas war when social media is filled with misinformation and popular news websites don’t know the truth.

On Tuesday, October 17, the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza was struck with a rocket. Immediately, the attack started the controversy, with many blaming the evident component of Israel and Israel’s adamant denial of involvement in the horrific attack. Different news organizations were reporting conflicting reports about where the rocket came from. Social media was blowing up with arguments, with many political leaders condemning Israel for the alleged attack. Shortly after, the IDF or the Israeli defense forces released a statement stating they had no involvement in the attack, but many were unconvinced. Then, just a day later, on Wednesday, October 18, the United States backed up its claim, staging it be shown with satellite footage. This report did not sway public opinion too much.

The rocket strike occurred at a large hospital in Gaza, overwhelmed by injuries and refugees seeking a haven from the conflict. The rocket did not directly hit the main hospital building, but a lot of the hospital was a short distance away. Initially, Gaza reported about 500 casualties, then revised it to 471, but an independent study by the U.S. says that the death toll was likely exaggerated and lies between 100-300 casualties. 

With the initial assumption that Israel had dropped a rocket on the al ahli arab hospital, the IDF-Israeli Defense Forces profusely denied all accusations. Biden and his administration backed up Israel as America and Israel have been close allies in this war. Shortly after the attack, the IDF released photo, video, and audio proof that an Islamic Jihad group had accidentally hit the hospital’s parking lot. This proof has yet to be substantiated by independent sources. The Islamic Jihad is a similar terrorist group to Hamas that also operates out of Gaza. The Jihad receives funding and weapons from Iran, and more often than not, Hamas and the Jihadist group have a united front. It has been reported that the Jihad group attempted to fire rockets into Israel when one of them misfired and hit the hospital’s parking lot. Extensive proof points to this theory. Eyewitness accounts claim that the rocket was fired at the hospital from somewhere in the west, backed up by satellite imagery showing photo evidence that the rockets came from the southwest of the hospital. Furthermore, the rocket had a relatively small blast, not leaving a lot of shrapnel and not creating a crater, which is consistent with something being shot from close range. It has been confirmed that it could not have been an Israeli air strike specifically that hit the hospital, as forensic evidence does not support it.

In truth, neither the claims that Israel was behind the attack nor that it was a misfired rocket can be independently sustained even though the proof is presented; it is up to each individual to interpret the evidence and come to their logical conclusion about the situation.