IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari on Wednesday laid out the IDF's full comprehensive intelligence case to prove that an Islamic Jihad failed rocket caused the damage Tuesday night to a Gaza hospital, leading to a still-unclear, but large, number of Palestinian civilian deaths.
The chief spokesman presented actual audio recordings in which Islamic Jihad members say out loud that they are responsible for the explosion.
Hagari also presented a detailed video on top of earlier videos put out by Israel's public relations apparatus showing different stages of the rocket's trajectory and the layout of the hospital being hit.
The press conference was highly unusual in terms of making signals and other military surveillance intelligence available to the public, showing Israel's realization that how the incident is perceived has strategic importance for global support or opposition to the next stages of the war, especially the anticipated ground invasion, which has already seemed on pause for nearly a week.
#عاجل بعد تحقيق شامل ومعمق أجريناه في جيش الدفاع نستطيع ان نؤكد ان تنظيم الجهاد الاسلامي هو المسؤول عن استهداف المستشفى المعمداني في مدينة غزة pic.twitter.com/AgIaon2uKd
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) October 18, 2023
Hagari said, "The IDF has concluded an after-action review and confirmed that the Islamic Jihad was responsible for the strike," on the Gaza hospital.
"We did an immediate review for all relevant branches of the IDF," he said.
Next, he said, "At 6:15 p.m., a barrage of rockets was fired by Hamas at Israel." At 6:50 p.m., a barrage of 10 rockets was fired by Islamic jIhad from a nearby cemetery, he said. Further, at 6:59 pm., there were reports of an explosion at the hospital. According to our intelligence, Hamas checked reports, and itself understood that it was as Islamic Jihad rocket misfired and decided to launch a global media campaign to hide what happened, he said.
Hamas also inflated casualties, he stated.
Moreover, he said the PIJ rocket was fired from a cemetery next to the hospital and hit a parking lot next to the hospital which likely had terror munitions, which caused further damage.
He said there was visual evidence showing infrared imagery of the nearby parking lot.
The IDF also confirmed there was no IDF fire by land, sea, or air which could have hit the hospital.
A failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization hit the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza City.IAF footage from the area around the hospital before and after the failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization: pic.twitter.com/AvCAkQULAf
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 18, 2023
IDF shares internal Islamic Jihad conversation on hospital blast
A rough summary of some of the internal Islamic Jihad conversation included statements such as:
"It's from us? Who says this? They are saying the shrapnel from the missile is Islamic Jihad and not an Israeli missile. They shot it from the cemetery coming from behind the hospital. There is a cemetery behind it?"
On Tuesday night, Hagari had already given initially declared that "an analysis of IDF operational systems indicates a barrage of rockets was fired by terrorists in Gaza, passing in close proximity, to the hospital at the time it was hit. Intelligence from a few sources that we have in our hands indicates that the Islamic Jihad is responsible."