Biden Suggests Hamas Blew Up Gaza Hospital as Media Weigh Evidence

During a trip to Israel, President Joe Biden suggested that Hamas likely blew up a hospital in Gaza.

Key Details: Hundreds of people were reportedly killed by the explosion at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital on Tuesday, and Israeli and Palestinian officials are blaming each other.

Key Quote: “Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you," Biden said to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Our current assessment, based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information, is that Israel is not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza," a White House National Security Council spokeswoman said.

For Context: There were protests in Lebanon, Jordan, and elsewhere prior to Biden's arrival in the Middle East. Jordan's King Abdullah condemned Israel for the explosion and canceled the summit Biden was scheduled to attend on Wednesday. Netanyahu's government claims to have evidence that the explosion was the result of a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad. A video tweeted by Israel's official X account claims to show a rocket fired from Gaza hitting the hospital.

How the Media Covered It: Left-rated sources often stressed that the blast's source is unconfirmed. Right-rated sources were more willing to accept Biden's conclusion, and some suggested that left-rated sources and Democrats tried to blame Israel for the attack without evidence "to establish the moral equivalency between Israel and Hamas they appear to need."