Israel Claims Responsibility of Deadly Strike on Ambulance in Gaza

Israel claimed responsibility for a Friday strike on an ambulance in Gaza City that injured 60 and killed 15.

The Details: Palestinian authorities said the vehicle was part of a convoy carrying wounded from al-Shifa hospital in Gaza’s North to the Rafah border crossing, which has been used to to evacuate people to Egypt. Israel’s military said the ambulance was "being used by a Hamas terrorist cell,” and that Hamas operatives were killed in the strike. Israel said it will share further information, but has already shared more details with intelligence agencies it works with.

For Context: A video of the aftermath has circulated widely on Twitter. The Times of Israel reported Friday that a senior Biden administration official said Hamas tried to sneak its fighters out of Gaza in ambulances and Egypt rejected the ambulances at the border. Israel has previously been accused of attacking a hospital in Gaza that killed hundreds, although blame still remains disputed. 

How The Media Covered It: The story was very widely covered by sources from the left and Center. As of Saturday afternoon, AllSides could not find significant coverage from the right. Newsmax (Lean Right bias) published an article based on The Times of Israel’s reporting, and included context that Hamas has smuggled weapons and fighters in ambulances as far back as 2002. Newsmax included a sentence at the end of its coverage about Israel’s claim of responsibility for the attack.